Always Blind
by FallenSurvivor
Summary: When the Shannon family brought Zoe along with them, they didn't know that they would have to give something else up instead. Maddy is taken from her family to serve as a caretaker to a wounded soldier that seems to want nothing to do with her. Maddy just wants to see her family again at any cost even if it means being whatever he needs. How will these two ever trust each other? AU
1. Caretaker to Ward

**So I actually started this a while back, and FSB made me start posting this. I will try to update all my other stories over the course of the week, so bear with me. Anyways I would have actually never written so many stories without you lovely people, I salute you, my lovely readers.**

Maddy was so confused, Her parents had been in the office with the Commander for a while now.

"Are they angry that I'm here?" Zoe asked her, the little girl had been sitting in her lap for the past half hour since a woman with dark hair stole their parents away.

"Maybe, but there is really nothing they can do." Maddy wrapped her arms tighter around her little sister, like hell would she let the child be taken from her now. "What do you think of our new home?" Maddy loved the old world, the bright colors, fresh air, but most of all, the sun. It felt so warm and comforting on her back and she couldn't help but smile from it.

"I like the pretty flowers." Zoe lifted her tan hand to point at a vendor who was selling the very plants she spoke about.

"I'll get you one after we get home." Josh whispered to the little girl, although he lost his girlfriend, at least he had his family and he smiled at his sister's beaming grin.

Suddenly the door above them shot open and their parents stormed out after the dark haired woman and Commander Taylor. "You're not taking her!" Jim yelled at the Commander, who was ordering men to take the Shannon girl.

Josh scrambled up and in front of the littlest girl, Maddy on his other side. They had to protect Zoe. Hands wrapped around Maddy's shoulders and she was dragged away. Screaming she told Josh to protect Zoe, then the Commander said something very odd.

"Bring her up here." And the soldiers were dragging the sixteen year old nerd up to the office, led by the dark haired woman. "Wash, debrief her."

If Maddy's ears weren't pumping so loudly she would have heard her family calling for her, or Zoe crying in her brother's arms while her parents begged for her not to be taken away.

However, all these noises were silenced once the doors were shut and she was plopped into a chair.

"Maddy Shannon. Age sixteen, IQ:189, pretty smart for such a young girl." The woman, Wash, laid the plex down on the table before her. "Since your outta school, We're going to put you to work." Maddy felt an acidic sinking feeling burn her gut and creep up her throat.

"What do you want from me?" She really did try to sound strong, but the question came out in a whimper.

"You are going to be a live in house nurse, or sorts, to a soldier who is too stubborn for help otherwise." The older woman sat down opposite her. "You will have one weekend a month to see your family, otherwise, you will be devoting your time to helping the soldier.

"W-What? Why?"

"Because your illegal little sister came here." Wash sat back. "We may seem like the bad guys here, but we need your help, besides, if you can get him to be civil and go out in public, I'm sure you could take him to see your family. Win-Win. It's that or take away Zoe."

"You want me to be a baby sitter, basically." Maddy hissed, after all was said and done, she actually felt angry, but more or less frustrated too. She leaned forward, a scowl painting her face. "Why? I'm sixteen."

"It will be good for him and you, if you do well in the first year, I am sure I could pull some strings and get you an internship under Malcolm and maybe even Ken Horton." Now that offer was tempting to Maddy, however, she couldn't just leave the people she loved.

"I want to have at least two weekends to see my family." She crossed her arms, she didn't want to do this, but she was not going to have Zoe taken from her and her family. "Alright, alright." She sighed in defeat and stood to follow the woman outside again.

"You have five minutes to collect your things and say goodbye to your family." Maddy nodded and followed the woman, her head bowed as her dark eyes sought out the people she loves.

It took a minute to explain things, though her parents calmed down considerably when she kept reassuring them that it wasn't so bad. Josh however, was furious.

"They can't just take you away." He hissed, Zoe gazing teary eyed at her.

"They can and will. Look I'll try to see you tomorrow, Lt. Washington said she would get me a map to find you guys, apparently I'll be on the other side of the colony from you." She moved forward and hugged each of them, lingering on Josh. "I'll be fine, and if something goes wrong, I'll come straight back to you all."

He seemed to take that to heart, kissing her forehead gently. "Remember, I'll kick anyone's asses if they hurt either of my little sisters." She snorted, although the moment was sobering.

"I'm not little anymore."

"You are to me." He whispered, he was always so protective of her since the first day she was bullied, she's sure it would have been much worse in school if he hadn't stood up for her.

"Yeah alright, I have to go now." She kissed Zoe's forehead and turned to Wash with her pack on her shoulders.

.

.

.

The housing unit the two women walked up on was actually bigger than she expected. "You will be living here with the soldier, your ward, another soldier by the name of Ken Foster and his caretaker, Skye Tate. Now then, to meet your ward."

To Maddy this sounded a lot worse than it was. Why couldn't the woman use terms like oh, kid, or incapacitated person to be forever cared for by Maddy. The girl took a deep breath, look at the bright side, she wasn't on a dying planet anymore.

Wash let herself in and pointed to a two bed room, one side taken with art and a blue bed spread, the other side up for grabs, "That's yours." She watched Maddy put her bag on her bed before ushering the girl down the hall. "Reynolds, You in here?"

The door clacked open and Maddy came face to chest with a handsome Adonis. "What do you want Wash?" he didn't even look at either woman, just at the wall above Maddy's head.

"About half a foot in front of you is your caretaker. Maddy Shannon this is Mark Reynolds, Everything you need to know about him has already been sent to your plex. Mark be nice, This is the last caretaker I am giving you, if she quits, there will be no more."

"Wait, I can quit?" Maddy asked brow lifted.

"Not until the end of the month." Wash mimicked the look, only adding a smirk to her face. "Have fun kids." With that she turned and left the house, leaving Maddy awkwardly in front of a strong soldier that didn't seem to acknowledge her.

"Um, I'm Maddy," She offered her hand, but he huffed, a frown tugging at his lips.

"I heard," He stepped back and shut the door on her.

"How rude." Maddy muttered, walking to the shared room only to meet a blue eyed girl. "Hello. I'm Maddy." The girl smiled and pulled her dirty blonde hair back into a bun.

"Skye, I guess your Reynolds' caretaker." Skye smiled warmly at the smaller Indian girl. "Good luck with that." Maddy sighed.

"Is he that bad?"

"Yep." She smiled and pointed at the plex on Maddy's bed. "You might want to read up on him, but I have been living here long enough to help you, just ask."

"Thanks, you seem to be the only person to be helping me."

"Hey, we caretakers gotta stick together." She winked at Maddy who grinned back a little. "Anyways, if you need anything come to me, I know most of Terra Nova by heart and I have been Marks temp. caretaker before so, yeah."

"Thanks," Maddy took this time to unpack as both the girls talked easily to each other like old friends, even Skye listening to her through her rambling. Once she could ,Maddy sat down with her plex and read up on Mark's Bio.

He was practically perfect, his training scores were ridiculously good, and he was about to be promoted to captain, third in command under Taylor. A prefect military career until seven months ago; an accident that left him completely blind and unfit for duty.

Maddy couldn't help her heart break a little over his circumstance. After his aspiring and promising career came to a sudden halt, he apparently has gone through six other caretakers in as many months.

She sat up to go the kitchen, she was going to help Mark, if it was the last thing she did.

.  
.

.

Mark waited until the evening meal to leave his room, a mouth watering smell reaching his nose. "Skye, what are you cooking?"

"Not Skye." That voice, that stupid melodic voice that actually made him want to listen to it. "And it's a type of vegetable dish, you'll like it."

"Like hell I will." Mark grumbled softly, before he heard light footsteps from his right. Skye ran her fingers over her elbow like she always did when walking by. The only reason he could stand Tate was because she announced herself to him in a way that didn't leave him feeling left out and alone.

"Be nice," Skye's footsteps got father from him and he shuffled towards the kitchen.

"So, Maddy." Her name rolled of Mark's tongue in a way he never meant. "What do you know about our new home."

"Almost everything I could read about Terra Nova. I was so excited about coming here, that I just had to know everything. I even read up on the dinosaurs of the region and time period, and was fascinated on brachiosaur dietary regiments, because of their protolateral incisors, upper and lower, they will eat small reptiles to facilitate bacteria growth." She said without taking a breath and thoroughly stunning Mark and Skye.

Skye spoke first, "That was awesome." Before Mark stood up and walked away, back to his room.

Really, Brachiosaur eats small dinos? No way. He turned on his heel and came back to the kitchen to sit on a stool.

"What else do Brachiosaur eat? I mean other than the tiny dinos." He leaned on the counter on his forearms.

"W-Well, well greens. I saw some of the colonists feeding cabbages to them on the way here." She mumbled this softly, but his sensitive ears picked up on this. "Anyways, I talked, a lot, but I have one more question." Her delicate voice lowered a little, like she didn't want anyone to hear.

"Yes?"

"Can you fire me?"

"Yes, but I not going to." The next person who talks is Ken, who is no doubt sitting on the couch after his physical therapy session and greatly interested in the interaction between his friend and the new caretaker.

"What do you mean you aren't going to fire her? You hate almost everyone man." Ken's voice carried loudly through the house, and for a moment, Mark asked himself the same thing.

"Well, I figure I could give her the week." He shrugged, "Now, what else do you know about dinosaurs?"

"Well, almost everything, however, I am still reading about slashers." The soft clack of a plate being set before him made him lean back before a small soft hand wrapped around his and a thin metal eating utensil was settled there.

But seriously, her hands were soft…and small…and delicate. Oh Gods.

Mark frowned and took a tentative bite of something that was so, so good. "This is amazing."

"Thanks." He heard her moving around the kitchen again before she sat in the seat next to him and brushed his side with her elbow. "I'm going to try to take care of you, but you need to meet me halfway."

Mark stayed silent, he has never felt comfortable enough with a caretaker to do all the things he would need her for help, often times it was Skye on her days off that was helping him, she was like a little sister to him, but still.

"I can't promise that."

"Then try." The soft voice whispered against his ear and his cheeks felt hot. "I know your blind, but I will help you, I CAN promise that."

A sudden thought ran through him.

She was going to break him.

**Preview for next chapter:**

Maddy rubbed her palms up and down Mark's strong shoulders, "Sh, sh, it' okay." He buried his face deeper into her neck, arms tightening around her towel clad body. God this was so scandalous if it wasn't actually serious. What had happened today scared her worse than almost anything before and all she could do is sigh after all of it.

She just wanted a bath and maybe a good cry after the traumatic day she's had.

"Are you sure you're okay." He mumbled, her just nodding.

"Yeah, um, Mark, this is not the best time to be, um hugging me." She was sure her entire face was red, and hoped he couldn't hear her roughly beating heart. She had never been in so little around a Man before, none the less a blind man.

"Right," He had no intention of letting go of her soft body, Gods she was so small. He heard footsteps around the corner, but refused to relinquish the small girl. HIS caretaker.

"Hey Mark, I heard about the incid- Oh." Skye stopped in her tracks at the sight of Maddy, barely covered in a white towel and blushing all over, being embraced tightly by the large soldier, whose face was tucked against her neck.

Oh, Perfect.

**Whatdaya think? Please review.**


	2. Soldier

**So this is pretty much unedited. It;'s midnight here so yeah. I will be updating Wanted Girl on thursday and it will be extra long chapter. So be prepared. Enjoy this chapter and tell me what you think. **

Maddy had stayed up late her first day talking to Skye and looking over a map of things to do around Terra Nova, especially things that could involve a ward**.**

"Skye, what is the caretaker/ward system set up for? I don't understand how there could be so many crippled here." Maddy, who was sitting on her bed, stood to change into a pair of night clothes.

"It was originally three or four physical therapists rehabilitating wounded soldiers, however, due to new dangers out here, they couldn't handle all of the wounded." Skye laid back on her bed, pulling covers over her legs. "So they would pay civilians to take care of the wounded. You see most either return to duty because most of the injuries are superficial. But then there are ones like Mark, who are in need of a permanent caretaker."

Silence engulfed the room for several minutes as Maddy took in the new information. "Is Ken a permanent Ward?"

"No," Skye stretched up and rested a hand behind her head. "No, he is getting better every day. I expect him to return to security in a month or so." Both girls grew more tired as she spoke and soon, Maddy had fallen asleep with a mumbled goodnight to Skye.

.

.

.

A terribly loud ringing entered Maddy's ears, and for a moment she thought she was still in her dream, agitated by the early call.

Groaning, she looked at the alarm clock next to her bed; 5:30 am. What. The. Hel-

"Wake up Caretaker, we are going to the training grounds." Mark called from the other side of the bed room door.

"Skye?" She didn't need to say much before the girl looked at her with bleary eyes.

"He does this every day, just take a pillow and sleep on a bench while he works out." Then she turned over, falling back into blissful sleep as Maddy pulled on clothes slowly. Who gets up this early. Really who does that?

Maddy stumbled out of her room and rubbed the sleep from her eyes before a voice cut through the dawn quiet. It was too early to even ramble.

"Let's go." Mark grabbed her around the arm and practically dragged her to the door. "I can give you directions to the training ground, just make sure I get there." The blind man stepped so surely up until he stepped off the porch, where he topped dragging Maddy and moved his hand up to her shoulder, "Go to the left and all the way to the end of the lane." He ordered, keeping Maddy slightly in front of him as a lead.

She would probably have been bitching him out, but then again, she really got to take in her surroundings. The sky looked so blue in the early morning, the natural world in the sleeping transitions where night crawlers fell into dreams and the day timers began to rise.

She actually found the silence peaceful, it had never been so silent in 2149, she had never had a moment of quiet such like this.

"Turn right at the end of the lane." Mark whispered, and even that was loud, booming alongside the smashing sounds of their feet stepping in the gravel.

"Okay." She mumbled back, eyes finding a odd structure that already had military personal running back and forth, she even saw some paired up and fighting each other.

"Do you see the training grounds?"

"Yes." She reached up to brush her fingers along the back of his hand, in a way reassuring him that what she said was true.

Soon, when the noises got louder, Mark broke away from her, to a running track that encircled the fighting pairs. He pulled off his jacket and dropped it on the ground, beginning to jog immediately.

Maddy stared at the person less jacket for a moment before taking pity on it and grabbing it up to use as a blanket. The ground was hard, but it was too damn early for her to care, so she laid the jacket over her legs and pillowed her head with her hands before promptly falling asleep with a single thought going through her mind.

Jeez Mark is a big guy to have a huge jacket fit him!

.

.

.

"Maddy!" She didn't wake up immediately when Mark tried to call for her, but when a booted toe poked her, she shot up, scowling at her ward.

"What?"

"I have a physical today with the docs, you need to take me to the infirmary." He towered above her, eyes level with the land, almost as if he wasn't soeaking to her at all.

"You could at least try to look at me." She grumbled getting to her feet and pressing his jacket into his hands.

"Well, now, how can I if I can't look?" He shook his head. "Don't be an idiot." If he could see, he would see Maddy abuse her lower lip with her teeth in frustration in her situation and his rude behavior.

"Where is the infirmary?"

"Are you new here?"

"Yes, I arrived yesterday," Maddy honestly didn;;t mean to snap when she spoke, but he was the meanest cripple she ever met.

"Oh," His frown melted off his lips and he more tentatively spoke, "Well, it's down five lanes to the right from the command center. Do you know where that is?"

"Yes." She fisted her hand in the elbow of his jacket this time, leading him like a small child might.

.

.

.

The infirmary seemed, well a lot calmer than she expected. There wasn't a lot of loud equipment like the hospitals of 2149, but they were no less capable if not more. She watched in disgust as a giant leech sucked a man's blood from his back. It was completely gross.

"Reynolds, you're going to be in Bio-bed 3." A woman nurse called and led the pair to a flat bed opposite another man who had a guard by his bed.

"Miss." Maddy called after her before she could get far from her. "Who is he?" Her fingers pointed to the man.

"A traitor, caught doing something bad. I don't know much." The woman shuffled off before Maddy was back at her ward's side.

Soon an older man approached him and started filling Maddy in on Mark's medical history and such, well that is before a loud thwack sounded behind her and she found a strong arm wrapped around her throat.

"Don't move or I kill her." The man, the traitor on the other bed had Maddy firmly against his front and a sharp metal thing pressed to her head. Anyone would know that that was a weapon, ore rather a pistol.

"Maddy!" Mark shifted forward before the metal was pressed harder against her skull.

"I said don't MOVE." The man behind her barked, freezing Mark in his place.

"Don't hurt her," A new quality of his voice surprised Maddy, because this was gentle and cautious and pleading.

"If you listen to me, your little girl friend will be just fine." The man tugged Maddy along, backwards as she stumbled over her feet, trying to keep up with him as they left the infirmary.

She could hear yelling in the building behind her and all she could think was every cuss she knew and stupid escape plans. All of which included knocking him out, because she is strong enough to do that.

"You know, I think Taylor will actually listen to me this time." The man's heart was beating fast, contrary to his cool-y nervous exterior.

And sure enough, the man was surrounded by gun wielding soldiers and The Commander and Lieutenant. Maddy was trying to keep up with them all, but adrenaline set in and she couldn't hear a thing other than her erratic heart thundering in her chest.

She could tell there was yelling, by the look of Taylor's working throat muscles and the arm round her tightened until-

The man behind her jerked, and suddenly she was free, but she didn't move a muscle. He was leaning on her and something warm and wet was running from his neck, onto her hair and neck and shoulders.

She looked around, her eyes stopping on the blood and the silver knife lodged in the man's neck. He opened his mouth, as if to say something, but more blood spilled from his lips.

Who could make such a wound with a knife? Such a precise shot that killed the man and left her unscathed?

She was honestly just thinking about all the blood around her, vomit building up in her system and shivers running up and down her. And then the ground was coming up to her very quickly before she just couldn't remember what happened next.

.

.

.

It was just a horrible dream, and for whatever reason Maddy felt at peace for the moment, before she looked up at the white ceiling of the infirmary, hen a face.

"Lt. Washington?" She tried to sit up, but the woman slowed her.

"Welcome back." She smiled sadly, "Mark thought he had kit you with the knife when you started screaming."

"I was screaming?" Wait, "A blind man threw a knife at me?" She sat up, eyes wide with horror and awe.

"Yep, Taylor chewed Reynolds out for it, but the kid was always scary amazing with knives. And yes, you screamed like you had taken the blade to the gut. We all thought you were hit until I checked you." The older woman passed the caretaker a water bottle. "It's just the shock of this life that got to you, nothing to worry about."

"Nothing?…you all are insane." Maddy sat up, "I want my mum and dad." A lump was choking her, she felt alone and gods, she almost died today.

"Hey, it's okay hun." Lt. Washington patted her back, " In a few days it will be the weekend and you can see you family then. However, there is blood in your hair and I am sure you want your rest, which is why I have a rover outside to take you home."

Maddy only nodded and slipped out of the bed, weakly walking to the metal car and climbing in for the short drive. As soon as she was in front of her house, she trudged in and went straight to her room where she stripped of her clothes (She'll burn them later) before wrapping up in a towel and heading towards the bathroom.

Everything was quiet, startling her when the door to her left shot open and arms wrapped around her. Mark's eyes actually held something, an emotion other than robotic blindness. It was fear and worry, especially the way his hands moved over her body subtly, checking her for wounds. Then she was tightly held against him, he bending to hold her better.

Maddy rubbed her palms up and down Mark's strong shoulders, "Sh, sh, it's okay." He buried his face deeper into her neck, arms tightening around her towel clad body. Gods this was so scandalous if it wasn't actually serious. What had happened today scared her worse than almost anything before and all she could do is sigh after all of it.

She just wanted a bath and maybe a good cry after the traumatic day she's had.

"Are you sure you're okay?" He mumbled, her just nodding.

"Yeah, um, Mark this is not the best time to be, um, hugging me." She was sure her entire face was red and hoped he couldn't hear her roughly beating heart. She had never been in so littled around a man before, none the less a blind man.

"Right," He had no intention of letting go of her soft body, gods she was so small. He heard foorsteps around the corner, but refused to relinquish the small girl. HIS caretaker.

"Hey Mark, I heard about the incid-Oh." Skye stopped in her tracks at the sight of Maddy, barely covered in a white towel and blushing all over, being embraced tightly by the large soldier whose face was tucked against her neck.

Oh Perfect.

"This is so not how it looks." Maddy whispered immediately. Causing Mark to back up. Oh yeah. She just remembered something.

A sharp stinging and hash skin on skin hit filled Mark's sense. "Did you just bitch slap me?"

"Yes," She hissed, "You threw a knife at me, you could have killed me. You- You-"

"I thought I killed you." He said, rubbing his jaw. "Jesus, who do you practice this one, that was like a genius slap."

"Well, I am a genius. But my brother knows that better than anyone." Her brows where tangeled together in a scowl. "If you ever throw a knife at me again, I will hit you with a CLOSED hand." She turned on her heel. Maddy would never condoned violence, but he threw a knife at her so it only seemed fair that she slapped him in the face.

As soon as the bathroom door shut and the new girl was finally alone in the confines of the small room, she sank to the floor, leaned against the door, and sobbed.

She almost died today. And it was her first official day in the new world. Maddy stumbled to the shower and slid in. The stream being turned on and her basking beneath the heated water

**Preview for next chapter:**

"Come on you'll like it. It's my favorite story." Maddy was trying to coax Mark into a story, Alice in Wonderland, as she sat on the porch.

"Why?"

"Because, you at least need to know things about the world other than the army."

"What if I don't want to?" he asked with a raised eyebrow, his facial expressions were unique when his eye lids didn't move much.

"Fine let' go to the Market." She started to get up when he sat donw next to her.

"You know I could try new things. What adventures does Alice go on?"

Maddy only wondered what made him do the one eighty?

"Mark, why don't you like the Market? Each time I ask you about going there you deflect."

"It's where I had The Accident. Its all I can think about when I'm there." He mumbled, staring forward into nothingness. Maddy was about to ask before closing her lips. Of course, the career ending accident.

"But you were there yesterday. Did you think of it then."

"No." He growled, talking down to her again. "Because it was you I was focused on."

"Why?" She asked again, pushing when she knew she shouldn't

"Because you talk and I focus on that and I was scared!" he shot up to pace the length of the porch.

"Why were you scared?" She whispered, seeing him visibly wilt before her.

"…I just couldn't let another innocent person die there. What is this life worth if you can't do something good with it?"

Maddy needed to know what happened seven months ago that left Mark so…scared.


	3. Wheat Penny

**So I will be gone for a week (Gasp!) and I know y'all wanted another chapter for wanted girl, but I had a great idea for it and will post it tomorrow night, (Pinky Promise). Anyways enjoy the chapter adn REVEIW!**

"Come on you'll like it. It's my favorite story." Maddy was trying to coax Mark into a story, Alice in Wonderland, as she sat on the porch.

"Why?" He paced the ground in front of an empty flower bed since he refused to leave the safety of the house with Maddy after the disastrous results yesterday.

"Because, you at least need to know things about the world other than the army," Her voice was softer, hoping to relax him into sitting down.

"What if I don't want to?" he asked with a raised eyebrow, his facial expressions were unique when his eye lids didn't move much.

"Fine let' go to the Market." She started to get up when he sat down next to her.

"You know I could try new things. What adventures does Alice go on?" Maddy only wondered what made him do the one eighty?

"Mark, why don't you like the Market? Each time I ask you about going there you deflect."

"It's where I had The Accident. It's all I can think about when I'm there." He mumbled, staring forward into nothingness. Maddy was about to ask before closing her lips. Of course, he was talking about the career ending accident.

"But you were there yesterday. Did you think of it then."

"No." He growled, talking down to her again. "Because I was you I was focused on."

"Why?" She asked again, pushing when she knew she shouldn't

"Because you talk and I focus on that and I was scared!" he shot up to pace the length of the porch once before returning to the wood bench.

"Why were you scared?" She whispered, seeing him visibly wilt before her.

"…I just couldn't let another innocent person die there. What is this life worth if you can't do something good with it?"

Maddy needed to know what happened seven months ago that left Mark so…scared.

"Just read the story." He growled, leaning back and rubbing his face as Maddy relented and started reading the first page to him.

.

.

.

"No."

"Yes." Maddy growled, tugging on his elbow. "The Doctor didn't finish the check up, let's go." She threw her weight into a tug and this time, he feet began to move. "We don't have to go to the Market."

He nodded, moving slowly and dropping a hand to her shoulder and letting her lead. His hand didn't just lay there like it did yesterday, squeezing every once in a while and causing her to reach up and run her fingers over his wrist.

As they walked across the colony, Maddy kept her eyes moving, looking for her family to no avail. She felt so alone in a damn colony so fricken small she could see from one side to the other.

"Maddy?"

"Yes." She turned her dark eyes to his light ones for a moment as they neared the infirmary and the white frost doors opened for her.

"What's your favorite flower?" He tightened his hold as the cool air washed over them signaling their arrival in the clinic.

"What? Why?" Maddy arched a brow, though she didn't look behind her this time. "I don't know." A nurse saw them and showed them to a Bio-bed, "There are none in the future and I haven't been out much here, so. I-I guess I just haven't taken a good look around." She sat him down and stood waiting for the doc. "Why?"

"There are no flowers in front of the house. I was hoping you would plant some." He laid back at the Doctors orders.

The older man turned to her and smiled in that grandfatherly way. "The magnified brain x-rays take about five minutes, why don't you go out and wait in the front." She was actually interested in seeing this procedure take place. When she leaned forward to ask and stay, Mark shifted and looked at her. Or seemed to, though his eyes didn't reach her.

"Can you get me some water?" His voice was softer and almost unheard. She nodded dn patted his shoulder before walking towards the front where a water dispenser was.

"Miss?" A voice rose behind Maddy and had her searching for the voice. "I heard Reynolds ask you to plant some flowers."

"Yes?" She arched a brow at the small nurse who held a plex under her arm.

"Well, he doesn't like flowers, Miss. Every time someone's tried to plant something there, he's torn it up."

"But Skye-"

"Doesn't garden, nesides if it was her he would have lost an arm. I'm just saying is it's weird that he is asking for flowers now." The small woman shook her head and left Maddy to the water machine in confusion.

Why did he suddenly want flowers?

.

.

.

Maddy lifted a pot of red flowers up to examine it better before paying for the flowers and walking to the tree that Mark was under. His face pressed to the bark and a cool sweat erupted over his shoulders. "Mark?" She asked and he tensed at her voice.

"Please, please tell me something, anything, just, please." He begged her, hands clenched at his side.

"Well, did you know that in WWII a man by the name of Joe was a bomber pilot. He did twenty four missions with his best friend in the ball turret on the belly of the plane." Maddy swallowed because this was her family history on her father's side. "During the twenty fifth and finally mission though, the gears of the ball and the electrical of the plane were damaged in a fight, and Joe's best friend, Tommy, was stuck in the ball turret. Since they couldn't drop their landing wheels, they realized they would have to crash land on their belly. Any time a bomber had to crash land like that it would destroy the ball turret and crush the man inside."

"What happened to Tommy?" Mark leaned against the tree, body visibly relaxing.

"There was arguing between the air men of the bomber. The pilot didn't want to kill his best friend, but there were running out of fuel and the plane was badly damaged. And finally, Tommy just spoke up." She bit her lower lip. "He said, "Put us down, Joe. I'm going home one way or another."" She watched his jaw work, his brow furrowed.

"He died." Mark stated and Maddy swallowed and reached into her pocket to pull out a little 1910 wheat penny, extremely rare and priceless after two hundred years.

"They said that his blood could be seen for five hundred feet on the runway. But Joe walked the runway, crying for his friend when he found his good luck charm." Mark was aware of a luck charm, every soldier had one. "He put it in his pocket and reenlisted for another twenty five missions."

"Why wouldn't he want to get away?" Mark would have done the same, but hell he can't even be in the market place without a break down.

"Because the next mission was a Berlin drop, right to Hitler. I guess he was angry. He kept the penny in his pocket through the whole second set of twenty five before he returned home and searched for Tommy's wife." Maddy took his hand and pressed the wheat penny into the middle of his palm. "When he found her, he gave her a letter, the penny and moved into the house next to her. Years later they got married, I guess they were so broken they needed each other. I don't know which of the two is my ancestor is, but I am proud of them both. And when I got this penny I used to hold it at night, but if it helps you relax and come into the Market, then you can have it."

Mark's big hand enclosed around hers', the penny between their palms. His voice came out so softly, a whisper, "Thank you."

"Let's go home. I have flowers to plant." Maddy smiled at him, even though he couldn't see her. "You aren't shaking anymore."

"Yeah well, There's this girl that had to tell me a terrible stor-" He felt a small smack on his arm, a smile breaking over his face. "Thank you, truly. You made me stop thinking about it."

"Will you ever tell me what happened here?" They had gotten down the street, Maddy looking around before stepping onto another street.

"I rather not." He muttered.

.

.

.

_"Help me, Help me! Please." The octave high voice cried for an adult to come save the tiny child. _

_ "I'm coming!" Mark roared. The orange, consuming beast surrounding them all, started by the rebels, spit at everyone around before Mark decided to run through a wall of high flames. burning his arms abnd patting out his pants as he ran for the kid. "I'm going to get you ou-"_

_ The explosion knocked several men off their feet, shooting glass and dust and dirt into Mark's eyes and incinerating the body of the child to nothing but ash. Mark watched it happen with his last blurry images of life. The last images he would ever see would be the burned face of the kid next to him, he big hand reaching for the small child and-_

Mark sat up, panting and sweating, bound by his blankets which he kicked off him as his heart raced with an unprecedented speed.

.

.

.

Maddy stretched her shoulders one last time before relaxing into the comfort of her merciful bed. She had tilled up the entire flower bed out in front of the house before planting the one little flower bush. Then Skye dragged her away to help her repaint the house and find rocks to surround the newly tilled flower bed.

Her body will be so sore tomorrow and-

"Maddy?" What the-? Maddy sat up in the darkness of the night and stared at Mark who as at her door with a pillow sheets under his arm.

"Mark, is something wrong?"

"Um, can I sleep in here, o-on the floor. I mean, if you don't want me to-"

"No, no, come here, this bed is big enough for both of us." She patted the side next to her, scooting over a little.

"N-No, I really don't think it would be appropriate." He spread the sheet, her watching as he laid out, pillow beneath his head. "Goodnight caretaker."

"Goodnight ward." She reached down and ran her fingers along his arm, feeling the sensitive skin of scars between the rough skin of a soldier. "Goodnight Soldier."

**Preview for next chapter:**

"I want to see her." Mark stated, waiting for the Doctor to say something. "I-I know you made that thing that prints images in peoples minds. Please, I want to see her."

"Mark, we've never used it on the blind. It may not translate the sa-"

"Please, I beg you." He leaned forward. "I had Skye send you the phote, I just want- I need to see her. Please." The penny was burning against his breast pocket as he begged the old doctor to imprint the image of his caretaker into his mind's eye.

"Mark, you never took an interest in your caretakers before Mark-"

"Because she is different, she's"

"Might be temporary." The doctor cut in, "What id she leaves you, what if she is moved to another ward.

Mark remembered their first day together when Maddy asked Wash if she could quit or be fired.

'_Not until the end of the month.'_


	4. I've Seen You

**So I'm sorry I have been MIA for so long. But I will defiantly update THE WANTED GIRL tomorrow. Just so you know. Enjoy this and PLEASE Review. If y'all have any questions or anything leave it in the review box or PM me. I like talking to you guys. (Curls up all lonely)**

** Also, there is a lot of Dialogue here, but not so much next chapter, just sayin.**

Stretching out and arching her back, Maddy groggily opened her eyes. It wasn't too early in the morning and the way the house hummed outside her room, she guessed others were awake and going about their day.

She twisted and looked down at the large soldier, who still slept soundly beside her bed. He actually seemed so young and free in his sleep, not even the shadows of the stress in his waking hours showed at the moment. Maddy slipped out of bed to kneel next to him and reached out gently, she ran her fingers over his chin, then jaw. And neck.

And the most gorgeous man in the world is blind just to piss Maddy off?

Yes.

"What happened to you, Warrior?" Soft rasps echoed from the friction between their skins, his much lighter than hers. This was so inappropriate! With that thought she pulled her hands back and stared at him as he took a deep breath and moved, arm shooting out and wrapping around her waist. Snorting while gasping and choking, Maddy found herself on her side, his warmth seeping into her torso where he was holding her to his chest. And Oh..no.

She was wearing a t shirt and short sleep pants. And the feeling of her chest against his was completely new without an extra piece of fabric between them.

Queue fan girl nose bleed…now.

"Maddy?" Skye called from another room, "I need your help."

Thankfully the man-beast was sleeping and easy to push out of his embrace. As she grabbed her clothes for the day and ran to the bathroom for privacy.

She didn't see how he smiled wide as soon as she left the room.

Mark liked the feel of Maddy pressed to his chest. Usually he wasn't the touchy feely guy, but Maddy intrigued him and he just…Damn, she smelled like flowers, or something flowery….and god she just…she just smelled really really _good._

He drifted off again with the smell of his caretaker deeply etched into his mind.

.

.

.

Mark sat up; it was quiet, far too quiet for there to be other people in the room, "Maddy?" There was no answer, but he heard sounds in the kitchen just outside the door. He sat up and rotated his upper body slowly to ease the tension of a night on the floor. Standing up, he stumbled around the room, unfamiliar to him and the first five minutes of waking up were always the most confusing for Mark.

Using the wall as a crutch, Mark found his way down the hall the kitchen. "Skye?"

"Not Skye." Mark felt like Maddy was smiling, he imagined her smiling…sort of, he still didn't know what she looked like, so…

"Um, well, I was thinking, how does," Crap what should he have her talk to him about? "a worm hole work?"

"Well, it's just one reality connected to another." He heard her voice get closer she served him breakfast. "More like doorways. No matter how far apart or near they be, it will always take the same amount of time to get from beginning to end." As she spoke he took several bites of food, ear honed in on the sound of Maddy Shannon. "You can take one door, and drag it across the universe and still the same amount of time."

"You voice is nice, just take a breath and slow down." He said around a mouthful of eggs.

"Well, that was as much a compliment as I've ever had." She said so softly….up against his fricken ear. The warmth of her breath had him choking. He turned around and reached for her but his fingers swiped at air.

"Well, I think you're beautiful." He breathed, trying to listen to her and picking up a shortened breath.

"You're blind."

"Doeseth thou calleth me a liar." His lips twitched up, but he did wish he could see her. She laughed at him, first loud pitched then smothered, she probably covered her mouth. "Don't cover your mouth, I like to hear people laugh."

There was some silence between them before her heard throat clearing and her soft voice again. "Maybe you should try to make people laugh more than frown. Sometimes you're rude, but then sometimes you're nice and funny. Besides, your eyes kinda dance sometimes,"

"What?" His EYES were useless, how could they dance?

"When you're happy they look like the ocean. When your sad, or angry, they look like a storm." Her voice was closer again and her felt fingers rubbing by his eyes and…she was TOUCHING him! "Okay you." Her voice shook before an audibly gulp. "We need to go talk to the Doc about your brain scans, and then you need to learn to use a cane."

"Tell everyone I'm blind why don't you." He laughed, though he dreaded canes since the accident eight months ago. He refused to change because of this.

"You have an appointment with the doctors so go get ready, child." He fake gasped at the title as he walked off, counting the steps of his room and through to his closet. It was a quick change, but he held his shirt between his fingers.

"Hey Maddy, could you help me with something?"

.

.

.

When Maddy heard her name, she turned around and cursed everything in sight, except for Mark's magnificent chest…and body.

Oh My….Oh. My….He had a tattoo on his shoulder and it made him look, dare she say, _sexy._

She wanted to lick all that strong skin…wait, what. No. That is work sexual harassment, right? Okay, focus Maddy.

Maddy felt her cheeks burn hot enough to instantly combust trees. Gods she never thought like that before and suddenly…but Mark was attractive and…

Shaking her head, she dispelled those thoughts before speaking up. "What's up?"

"Well, I was wondering what color shirt this was…"

"Oh um green, like army regulation green….like most of your other shirts." That didn't sound stalkerish. "I uh, did the laundry so yeah, most of your shirts are green except for three. White, blue and yellow." That really cleared it up. Yup Maddy Shannon; stalker extraordinaire. Thank goodness Mark couldn't see her face palming at the moment. "Let me rephrase that, I memorize everything so…sorry about the creepiness."

"Perfectly fine, but um…tell me, does this shirt look good with my eyes?" He asked blinking at her although he wasn't looking at her directly, she still laughed.

"Yes, you look fine. Now come on." She chuckled, looking at her watch. "Okay, we need to go or we'll be late." She dreaded her next words. "Put your shirt on."

.

.

.

"I want to see her." Mark stated, waiting for the doctor to say something. "I-I know you made that thing that prints images in people's minds. Please. I want to see her."

"Mark, we've never used it on the blind. It may not translate the sa-"

Please, I beg you." He leaned forward. "I had Skye send you the photos, I just want-I need to see her. Please." The penny was burning against his breast pocket as he begged the old doctor to imprint the image of his caretaker into his mind's eye.

"Mark, you never took an interest in your caretaker's before Mark-"

"Because she is different, she's"

"Might be temporary." The doctor cut in, "What if she leaves you, what if she is moved to another ward."

Mark remembered their first day together when Maddy asked Wash if she could quit or be fired.

_'Not until the end of the month.'_

"I don't care." He decided. "I wish to see her, at least she is my friend."

The old man sighed and conceded, looking through the photos and laid back Mark's head as he called a nurse to the computer.

It took maybe ten minutes to have Mark all hook in and wires connected to his forehead. "Just relax son." And then the images came.

A girl, dark hair, exotic tanned skin, innocent features. Soft eyes, shining with mirth at her surroundings. Red dress hung wistfully off her frame and soft pink lips turned up in a beaming smile. She was gorgeous.

Another photo, her hair was up this time and she wore a long shirt and leggings. Her neck was beautiful and swan like. She was smiling in this one.

Another of her on the bed, him on the floor next to her, she seemed so cute with messing hair hidden beneath the covers.

And another of her, reading her plex, a spark of intrigue in her eye.

The last was of her walking towards the house, Mark next to her, she was snuggled in his jacket, it hung off her like a dress, but he felt a swell of pride that she wore it in the cold early morning.

He felt like vomiting when unhooked from the machine, but had Maddy to lean on(Cough* cough* pat her waist) all the way home. She smelled of sweetness and dirt and sweat and he learned that she had been planting more flowers in the bed. He couldn't wait to get a picture of that.

"You know, I have the prettiest flower right here." He squeezed her a little and felt a light smack on his chest.

"Stop lying."

"I'm not lying." _I've seen you._

**Preview for next chapter:**

"Mmmark." He held her trembling form, the muscles in her back quivering. "What are you-"

"Shhh." He wished he could see her eyes, but settled for pressing his forehead to hers. "Please, Maddy, please."

"We can't." Her breath was warm. So, so warm.

**Please review. By the way I didn't really edit this.**


	5. Mine

**Didn't edit this cause it's supper late here. ENJOY**

Maddy sat next to Skye, giggling over fresh cups of hot tea in the early morning before their charges awoke. Skye had received a second charge, a young soldier in training who shot his knee cap on accident. When Maddy told Mark about the young man, well, he didn't stop laughing until he nearly passed out.

He will surely haze the new boy.

"So have you seen any of your family yet?" The older of the two asks, leaning back on the couch where the two sat.

"No," Maddy sighed. She found that Skye really didn't care if she rambled, even listen sometimes. "I would love to go see them, but my days off aren't for another week." Running slim fingers through her hair, Maddy let her cheeks puff out in frustration. "I mean it's not like I can bring him home and say, "Hey, Mom, Dad, this is my job, just ignore him will I visit you all."" Taking a gulp of scalding hot tea, Maddy curled her knees up to her chest as she leaned back into the cushions behind her.

"Maybe you could bring Mark, he hasn't been that bad since you've got him." Skye winked at her.

"There is nothing between Mark and I." Maddy deadpanned. The silly girl seemed convinced that Maddy and Mark would get married and live happily ever after. Maddy already knew that boys weren't interested in her, she wasn't pretty like Skye or even normal, she talks too much and is a brain head, plain and simple.

"Oh please he hangs on your every word. He _swoons_ over you" The sound of Skye's cackles could be heard through the house as Maddy blushed deeply. "I hear wedding bells." Was sung next before more laughing.

"Whose getting married?" Mark stumbled in and reached for the wall to steady himself.

"Oh, I was just telling Maddy how I would plan your guy's wedding." Mark ran his fingers through his dark hair, eye lids widening. Skye walked off cackling and full of mirth.

"So," Mark started, dropping his hand from the dark short locks to the back of his neck. "What are we doing today?"

"Um…" Gods above help her, "Wanna meet my family?"

.

.

.

Mark was in his regulation clothes, jacket unzipped as Maddy shivered next to him, pulling her jacket tighter around herself as they followed (Maddy read) the map.

"Almost there," She mumbled through chattering teeth.

"You said that how many minutes ago?" Mark laughed, reached out for her shoulder. The warmth of his strong grip had Maddy pressing herself into his frame. Why the hell was it so cold?

"Oh stop being such a child." Mark wondered if she also rolled her eyes at him, but still a small smirk landed on his lips. His arm instinctively wrapped around her small shoulders as they took a sharp left onto a less gravely path; by the feel and sound, Mark guessed it was to a home. "We're here." She mumbled softly as they slowly stepped up the front porch.

A few raps of Maddy's knuckles and Mark's hands tightened on Maddy, who the hell was he going to meet in there?

.

.

.

The moment Elizabeth Shannon opened the door, she let out an excited shriek, causing the young man with Maddy to flinch. The older woman yanked Maddy into her arms and crushed her in a frantic embrace.

"Oh, my baby girl," Mrs. Shannon released her daughter and looked at the man who escorted her daughter. "Thank you, but we've got her from here." Maddy chuckled and shook her head.

"Mom, he is my job." Maddy had explained the whole caretaker thing to her family minutes after she was assigned the job. "Mom, this is Mark Reynolds. He's my permanent ward." Maddy stepped out into the cold again and took his big hand into her own, tugging him inside the house.

"Well, come have some breakfast before I have to leave for work." Maddy smiled and lead Mark into the kitchen. The layout of the house was completely different from the layout of her own home and much less homey. At least to her.

Elizabeth was calling out to the rest of the family as Maddy pulled out a chair for Mark and guided him to sit down at the small kitchen table. Everything was bland and unpainted, Gosh Skye would love painting this place.

A small body was screaming and bouncing all the way to Maddy. Dropping to her knees, Maddy let her sister basically bring her to the ground. sitting back on her bottom, she cradled the girl to her chest as the girl laid little kisses on her cheeks. "I missed you so much Maddy." The little girl was in a shirt far too big for her and gripped a sock dinosaur.

"I missed you too, Zo." She whispered as her grip tightened on the girl. "What have you been doing since I was gone?" the little girl sat back, both of them on the floor of the kitchen as Zoe told her all about school and a girl named Nina.

A rumbling thump sounded in a room nearby and Maddy found herself staring at her brother whom seemed to have died just to get up. Was that a hypocritical statement?

Whatever.

Mark cleared his throat and shifted his foot until he found Maddy with it. "Why are you on the floor?" He mumbled, having heard the screaming and a child talking. He didn't like knew places especially something so intimate as hearing a family reunion.

Maddy, or he guessed it was, took his hand and brought it to a much, much smaller one. "Zoe, this is my friend Mark Reynolds, he's a soldier." Mark gripped the small finger tighter, only gently so as not to hurt her.

"Do you go see dinosaurs a lot," She asked suddenly, "I like to feed them."

"Well, Zoe," Mark couldn't help but smile as he felt the little girl move closer to him. "I don't _see_ them persay, but I do _hear_ them. And if you feed them to much they start snoring really loud." A small giggle flitted through the air and soon he found a small body sitting on his knee.

"Well, does my toys look like dinosaurs?" She asked, pressed the cloth thing into his large hands.

Maddy started laughing as he tried to tell Zoe over and over again that he was blind.

Somehow, Zoe believed he turned into a psychic since he lost his sight. And he completely milked the psychic angle.

.

.

.

"Maddy, I thought they would put you with a girl." Jim Shannon glared at the boy that sat at the kitchen table with a star struck Zoe in his lap. And to make it worse, Maddy took care of him like she had been doing it for years. Even knew how much cream to put in his coffee…No man takes his coffee any way other than black.

Wimp.

"Well, he seemed to like me well enough to keep me around."

"We got here a week ago." Jim stated as Maddy gave him the 'don't' look. She defiantly inherited that from Elizabeth. "Are you sure Maddy?"

"Yes, now go talk to him while I help Mom with Zoe, besides, I want to say goodbye to Josh." Mostly because the stupid boy was caught outside the gates and sentenced to latrine duty. Turning on her heel everyone seemed to leave the room at once, leaving a protective father with a man who was living with his daughter. It was a good thing the boy had no intentions towards Maddy.

"So," Jim started, leaning against the counter. "What do you do in the TN security force?"

Mark frowned and stood, finding a place across from Jim and leaning against the wall, "You mean what I did? I was a specially trained soldier working closely with Commander Taylor himself. What is it that you do? Maddy didn't seem to mention you…at all." Mark was getting defensive now, He didn't like the gut feeling he got from this man, and he always followed his gut.

"I'm the new Sheriff." Jim grunted. "And I saw you through a knife at my daughter," the memories of watching his Maddy drop tot eh ground still made him ache in fear. "You son of a bitch."

Mark laughed humorlessly, leaning forward so he was in his face and ould whisper harshly to Jim. "Maddy is MINE. She sleeps in the same room as me, she make my breakfast. She walks me around and does the shopping. She is just a ring short of being MY wife." Mark wanted to make sure he got it through the guy's head. Maddy was not _his_ daughter anymore, but _Mark's _caretaker.

Maddy _belonged_ to Mark, she was _his. _And he was intending on deepening their relationship. But she was_ His _now.

The right hook took Mark by surprise, but he brought his hands up to protect his upper body before taking the offensive. Just because he's blind doesn't mean he is useless. And he has been training more, working around his crutch.

His knuckles met a soft surface and two things happened, Jim let up on him and grunted in pain; and Maddy started screaming.

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING!" She cried, her hands wrapping around one of his wrists and tugging.

Well, this was a great first impression.

.

.

.

Mark stood in front of a dumbfounded Commander Nathaniel Taylor.

"Well, shit Reynolds, you picked a hell of a way to stake a claim. So how are you going to get Ms. Shannon to agree to courting?"

"Courting? Sir?"

"Yep, Courting? When you become found of a fair young lady, of which you wish to marry, yiou must ask for her father's permission to court her."

Well, Fuck.

"What if he says no?"

"Well, you can still ask her, but I don't know how well that will go over since you provoked her father."

"And if I do get her to agree?" Mark just wanted to skip the whole Jim Shannon thing all together.

"Then you take her on a date, woo her-"

"I don't know what that means-"

"Have Skye look it up for you." Nathaniel barked, "Now, son, be a gentleman at all times. Take her to events. Maybe get around to living together when she is older that is, and if all goes well, in a few years you can marry her and have a bunch of little Reynolds running around." Nathaniel was not about to give Mark the sex talk, he will leave that for Alicia to do.

"Yes sir, but um, we already live together-"

"You know what I mean, son." Nathaniel leaned back. "If you do ask her and IF she does agree to you courting her, then you need go to Alicia to about your little office romance."

"Uh, I don't-"

"DISMISSED." The Commander already spent enough time with Reynolds and will have to go woo Maddy Shannon. "And no more fighting."

Oh boy.

.

.

.

Skye had been rubbing Maddy's back for the last two hours since Maddy was brought home by another soldier other than Mark. She finally got the girl to tell heer what happened. All the way from Mr. Shannon's black eye and split lip to Mark's bruised jaw and bloody knuckles.

A soft knock sounded on the door of the two girl's room and Skye glared at Mark, although he would know.

"What do you want?" Skye hissed, pulling Maddy closer.

"I need to talk to Maddy, uh, privately." Mark squared his shoulders as Maddy mumbled for Skye to leave.

With one last reassuring glance from Maddy, Skye left to two alone, before taking a glass and pressing it to the now closed door to listen to the two.

"Um," Mark rubbed the back of his neck before clearing his throat. "I wanted to ask you, if you would- I mean," Maddy watched him lick his swollen lip and was reminded how mad she was at him, although she had kept herself from crying since he entered the room. "I want to court you."

"What?" The fuck?

"I want to court you, date you, um, I would like to date you. Technically, but the Commander says it's not dating, because I can't call you my girlfriend unless you want me too, and then there is informing both the Lt. and Commander and-" Maddy pressed her fingers over his lips gently.

His hands wrapped around her and pulled her close, his heart racing in anticipation for her answer. "What makes you want to date me?"

"Court you. A woman like you must be courted." He pulled her closer and she felt herself quiver; it didn't help that he was so tall compared to her.

"Mmmark." He held her trembling form, the muscles in her back quivering. "What are you-"

"Shhh." He wished he could see her eyes, but settled for pressing his forehead to hers. "Please, Maddy, please."

"We can't." Her breath was warm. So, so warm.

"Why?"

It was too bad he couldn't see her sly smile. "You still need to ask my father for permission."

Damn it.

**Preview for next chapter:**

Mark held Zoe's hand as the small girl led him around, the back of the house. The barrage of pterosaurs slapping against the Shannon home in a terrifying, rhythmic pattern.

"Are they going to get us?" The little girl asked in worry. They weren't even supposed to be here. They were all supposed to be at the caretaker home Maddy and Skye and he had.

Getting on his knees before the child he sueezed her hand. "I promise you Zoe Shannon, I will not let anything happen to you." He couldn't fail again. Not this time, not like this.

Not another child.

**Please review. **


	6. Little Sister and other Rambles

**Didn't edit this cause it's supper late here. ENJOY. Also I am updating Wanted Girl with a super long monster chapter on Monday afternoon or Tuesday. Like I said it is a monster and I am trying to shorten it a little.**

After the whole asking Maddy out, er, somewhat, they found themselves on the couch and 'watching' a movie on Maddy's plex. It was some kid's horror cartoon that had her resting in the crook of his shoulder. And Mark was NOT complaining about this.

"Why is it that girls always suggest splitting up?" He faked boredom, as Maddy slapped his chest.

"Hey Mark, maybe we should split up and look for clu-"

"No." His arms instantly tightened on her t-shirt clad waist.

"But-"

"Not for a million fricken Scooby snacks." His dead paned voice had soft giggles running through her small frame and vibrating into his. "No." If he could see, he would know that she was grinning like a silly, love sick, fool. A soft blush ran up her throat, across her jaw and rested at her cheeks.

However, since he was completely blind, all he heard was the childish sound effects of Scooby and the mystery gang hunting some Jeeper Creeper or something.

"So, would you be happy if-it were just you and me going off on our own like Daphne and Fred…" He heard the slyness in her voice and just had to come back with a smart ass comment.

"So…Maddy Shannon wants to steal me away for sex in a closet?" She gasped scandalized by his statement.

"N-no, not to say that you don't have an excellent body, but um, no-" She mumbled against his shoulder, but he smiled wide at her stumbling. "besides, Scooby would get lonely."

"You're choosing a dog over me?" Mark pulled his arm from her as she rolled around laughing. "I seriously need to step up this courting thing."

"Ask my dad first." Maddy giggled and Mark let out a bark of laughter.

"Fat chance." His hands found his young caretaker again and pulled her close to him, "Besides, I have a lovely meeting tomorrow morning about this whole….thing." He didn't really want to put anything into the whole fight with his new girlfriend's father. Besides it was like super late and he was already starting to nod off to the cartoon.

As they snuggled down into each other once more, Scooby running away from the monster and the moon rising higher in the sky outside.

.

.

.

Had Mark known that sleeping on the couch would hurt worse than morning exercises in basic training, than he would have moved both him and Maddy to her room. Then again, he did get to sleep with Maddy…in the completely innocent way. But to feel her warmth against his side and the silkiness of her hair on his chest was so worth it.

However, if he didn't get up know, he would be late for his meeting with the Commander. So he gently lifted Maddy's head and placed it on the couch before heading towards the door.

At the front door of the house, he turned around, went back to Maddy, and gently pressed his lips to the side of her forehead with whispers of having a good day.

As soon as Mark left the house, Maddy sat up with a doppy smile, "Don't worry, I will."

.

.

.

"Reynolds, I swear to god, I should just shoot you now." Alicia seethed from behind the Commander's desk, but Mark stared blankly back at her, a small smirk on his lips. "Is that why you didn't like any of your caretakers? Because they all turned you down?"

"Lt. Washington, I've never felt this-", he's known Alicia for several years now, like a big sister, and he wanted her to at least not remove Maddy from his wardom…? If that's what it's called. "She makes me want to live, even replanted the flowers in the bed."

"I swear to the lords above, Reynolds, I will kill you." She started. "I can't believe you are actually doing this. Caretaker/Ward relations are extremely tricking and I should just banish you. Out of all the stupidity!"

"But then Maddy would be sad." Mark huffed, he actually didn't want his caretaker upset in any ways after finding her sobbing from the whole attack the father moments.

Alicia sighed, and the sound her skin slapping glass met his ears. "Mark, she will be you caretaker, however you will take monthly emot tests with one of the docs to ensure that she won't try to kill you or vice versa. That being said, I hope you leave this office before I kill you….NOW!"

Mark attempted to run away, but ended up hitting the wall. The soft 'oof' that erupted from him had Alicia laughing and Mark blushing, but thankfully Maddy did not see that.

"Mark, Are you okay." Maddy's concerned voice made Mark want to die. Son of a- "Do you wanna go with me over to my parents house with me?"

"Is that really the best situation?" Mark enjoyed the whole Maddy nursing him, but he really didn't want to get punched again.

"If you start a fight, I will send you to the other side of the colony and cease to be your caretaker." She didn't bark at him, but damn it, he was whipped as he let her lead him to his death.

.

.

.

The tension in the air was palpable, I mean, Mark could get a knife cut at the air and eat solid tension. Jim was across the room from them and on top of that filling in his family on some kind of bird attack that had killed some soldiers Mark apparently didn't know.

However, all in all, they were talking about which house to hole up in during the apparent attack of the birds from Hell's Mouth. "Look, the Caretaker House is stronger, it doesn't have nearly as many windows as the later modeled homes." Mark stated, although Jim had fought the idea of going to the Caretaker House a soft voice spoke up, claiming she was scared.

The little girl whom Mark honestly only knew as 'Zo' was sweet talking her father and aided by Maddy's just as convincing tone they were soon setting up preparations and sleeping arrangements for the days.

It was settled as the family brought their things to the Caretaker House and everyone paired off into different rooms. Skye was still out in the market and her current wards were both at the soldier bunks with fellow armed security forces for their own safety.

And thank the lord, but tonight, Mark was sharing a bed with Maddy….and Zoe, but hey he got to go to bed and wake up with Maddy Shannon, sweetest person he knew.

Maddy and her mother were in the kitchen, talking and cooking some huge probably extremely gratifying meal when a small hand wrapped around his index finger. "Mister, I left my dinosaur at home."

Slowly Mark knelt down and tried to look at the small girl. "Well, he'll be fine at home, he's safe."

"But SHE'S afraid of the dark." The small girl cried out, her voice trembled on the edge of tears. "Please."

"Well, uh, Zo." Mark started but her little voice stubbornly butted in.

"Only my sister calls me that, you have to call me Zoe." Mark smiled at the smalls girl's outward confidence.

"Okay, I'm sorry for the slip up, but really she'll be fine." Silence filled the air between them and Mark assumed that their discussion was over and done with. Unfortunately not.

.

.

.

Later in the day, the sound of the back door closing had Mark following, it wasn't a loud sound and really he didn't need Maddy's help to check out his own house. A cruching of gravel had him walking outand calling for the figure ahead.

"Mister, you shoulder go back, I will be back soon." The determined young voice cut through the unrest and had Mark surging forward.

"Zoe, get back inside, it's not safe for you," He called as he followed her little feet walking.

"No, I need to go get my dinosaur." Well, for god's sake.

"We can get that later, but we could die out here. It's like running into a fire, you aren't supposed to go back fo anything-"

"I don't care." Mark suddenly sped up to grab the small girl, but she seemed faster, plus she could swerve and just wasn't nice to a blind man.

Before long he heard a door opening and thought for a moment that it was a soldier from another home to get them, but soft little feet padded on the porch and he could only know that they arrived at the Shannon home.

"Zoe!" Mark hissed before a cacophony of sounds filled his ears, almost like…chirping calls. Son of a-

"Mister, there's a moving cloud outside." Zoe whispered, but Mark was already locking the door and moving them further into the house. He was going to have a serious talk with somebody about the unlocked house.

"Zoe, I need you to hold my hand." He reached out for the girl and felt his fingers brush her side.

"I'm gonna get her." Zoe stated as her voice got further away. Mark was going through cuss words alphabetically the entire time the little one was away, but soon a weight laid against his leg, a singer arms wrapping around his thigh. "Okay, we can go back now."

"Zoe," Mark growled. "We can't go back now." He turned around and started down the hall.

Mark held Zoe's hand as the small girl led him around, the back of the house. The barrage of pterosaurs slapping against the Shannon home in a terrifying, rhythmic pattern.

"Are they going to get us?" The little girl asked in worry. They weren't even supposed to be here. They were all supposed to be at the caretaker home Maddy and Skye and he had.

Getting on his knees before the child he squeezed her hand. "I promise you Zoe Shannon, I will not let anything happen to you." He couldn't fail again. Not this time, not like this.

Not another child.

"Zoe, where is the furthest room in the house?" The little girl immediately grabbed his index finger and tugged him to the back of the house, her parent's bed room to be exact. "Sit on the bed, he instructed as he took a spot on the floor next to her. "And we'll just stay here until the birds fly over the rainbow."….crap what was the line from again?

.

.

.

Maddy paced terrified with her mother before the door flew open and in walked Mark, cradling Zoe and holding her little toy in one hand, before the soldier that escorted them home was dismissed.

Elizabeth stepped forward and took the sleeping child and toy before scurring off to one of the rooms.

"Mark," Maddy started, voice dripping with venom. "Where the hell have you been?"

"Maddy-"

"No, You don't get to make an excuse. You scared me. Zoe scared me, but you are the adult here. What were you thinking?"

"Mads," Mark rubbe the back of his neck before reaching for her. "She ran, I followed."

"You could have called for one of us." She bit back, worrying her plump lower lip. "I thought I had lost one of you, or worse both of you." She cleared her throat then. Mark knew that waver, she was going to cry again.

"Maddy, everything is alright. We are both safe and here now, besides, I would never let anything happen to her." It was the truth. Mark had stayed up through the entire night, listening to make sure nothing came through and hurt the small little girl. It was in the early morning that a soldier came and Mark insisted he carry his caretaker's little sister.

"You are so lucky you aren't Josh right now." She mumbled.

"Josh?"

"My brother." Brother?

"Wait, you have two siblings? As in a family of five?" These families were unheard of now a days, no wonder Jim Shannon was imprisoned. Maddy had mentioned it to him once…but wow.

"Mark, do not change the subject." She hissed, but Mark just walked up to her and wrapped her up in a hug. "You look dead."

"Stayed up all night baby sitting the little sister of this really beautiful girl. Yeah it was a lame attempt to get her to like me." A soft giggled told Mark he was out of the dg house. For now.

"Oh yeah?"

"Yes, so I'll give you a choice, because you so owe me." She moved her arms up around his shoulders and nestled her head into his neck.

"Okay, shoot."

"Either kiss me, and I mean like a serious smooch." He felt her tense. "Accept my proposal of courtship and become my girlfriend. Accepting title and all." Her felt her lips turned up against the skin of his neck. "Or take me to bed and let me snuggle. I spent the entire night with the wrong girl and I want the right one." Her shoulders shook slightly as she led him to the bed their we supposed to share and helped him get ready for some rest.

As they slipped under the covers, Maddy twisted around so she could face him and rested her cheek against his chest. "I'll give you a kiss if you still want it." His heart did a stutter step from the words and he wanted to cheer. Like serious jumping on the roof cheer.

"Hell yes." he whispered and he cupped her cheek and pulled her closer until…

"Maddy?" A small voice broke them apart and Damn it Mark almost had Maddy….almost.

"Yes Zo?" Maddy sat up to look at the girl.

"Can I sleep with you guys, I like being with the Mister." Mark huffed and waved his arms, soon feeling a little body crawl over the blankets and nestle into his other side.

"Looks like some one has a crush on you." Maddy giggled at him, but he wrapped an arm around both girls shoulders and pulled them closer.

"Because I am a fine man. And I is Smart, and I is-" A slap to his chest had both giggle.

"Okay, shut up and go to sleep, your losing your smart and fine."

"Be my girlfriend." He asked again, heart beating hard and begging her to agree.

"As my father."

**Preview for next chapter: **

Mark wondered why he never knew this side of Maddy before, this mothering side that had him wondering about….well he shouldn't but…..what would it be like to listen to her talk to her own children. He wouldn't go as far as call the imaginary kids his, but they all did have noticeably blue eyes in his thoughts.

"Zo? Will you go get Leah and Sam? It's time for lunch." Maddy asked as she set the table.

But whether Mark married Maddy(Honestly he was acting like a little girl planning their future together) or not he owed it to her to be as independent as possible.

He needed to talk to a doctor.

**Please review. **


	7. Mornings, bathtime, and kids

Sounds, Novians waking up, the pterosaurs chirping, the soldiers running around or training. Ugh, training, getting stronger and watching his friends back were the best parts of Mark's job. He missed it. He missed his friends. They came by sometimes but that was during their days off and even then they were pretty tense. Guilty. Hell, in was a huge failure on all the soldiers' parts that resulted in the Accident.

Mark took a deep breath, nuzzling his face deeper into Maddy's hair. Somehow Zoe had ended up being cradled by her sister so Mark had wrapped his arms around both of them. But Mrs. Shannon took the little girl earlier while Mark pretended to still be asleep. Leaving just the lovely Miss Shannon spooned against him, both of them on their side.

He felt her little body expand with a deep tug of air, and she pressed back against him. Mark happily learned that the swells of her backside fit well against the curve of his hips and…oh….oh no, no, no-

"Mark?" She mumbled groggily, the sound of shifting told him she was looking at him. "Do you-is that-"

"Yeah, sorry." Mark whispered quickly, he couldn't pull back from her because the wall was directly against his back.

"Oh, well," the warmth before him increased as she resumed her position. "Can I ask why you have a-a boner?"

"Well Maddy, when a young, beautiful woman is in bed with a attractive soldier, sometimes one thing leads to another, people get turned on and then, fifteen years from now, I will be telling our kids how they were conceived in this b-" A soft slap popped on his shoulder and she sat up as he just laid there, throwing an arms over her legs.

"I'm not beautiful, and I don't think I would be a good mother." Maddy did this mumbling thing when she belittled herself.

"Maddy, I had pictures of you imprinted into my mind, you are one of the most magnificent things I have ever seen. And this is coming from a guy who spent all of his military career in the past and climbed the cliffs with Taylor." Mark patted around until he found her hand. "And those really short sleep shorts are super sexy." He had been enjoying her smooth legs against his most of the night, but with one hand in hers and the other gripping her thigh, well, it felt like silk.

"Thank you." She whispered, sliding closer to him, "Most guys think I'm annoying, well most everyone does. And-" Mark wondered if she was biting her lip. "And I have never been flirted with before."

What? No one's ever flirted with- no, that needed to be fixed. What type of half wit would let this Aphrodite walk by without laying some kind of stupid pick up line on her. Then again, he had her all to himself now. And she was wanted he wanted.

"Well, Maddy Shannon, you have the lovely honor of being the girlfriend of One Handsome Soldier." He found her jaw and cupped her face. "And you will be treated just the way you deserve. Like a goddess." He leaned forward, hoping to find her lips, but soft finger rested against his lips.

"But, you haven't asked my father yet, so you aren't officially courting me. And we need to have a date, just see how this goes before making it official." He whistled low.

"Quiet the list." He heard her giggle and couldn't help his own. Did he mention how much he liked to hear her laugh and talk. And be in the same room as him. Jesus he was whipped.

"So, what are we doing today Miss Shannon?" He laid back and let his arms cradled the back of his head.

"Well, you need a bath-"

"I am a grown man!" He announced, he didn't needed to be bathed like a child.

"I know you use just us a cloth, soap and water. I mean actual bath, or we can't sleep in the same bed.

Son of a- that was worse. "Alright." Mark sounded like a petulant child, pouting at her in that blind mannor. "But I swear to god if you use some fruity girly scented soap or something, than I may wallow in the garden to get manly smelling again." That being said, Mark had no hate towards the wonderful scent Maddy used, but he didn't want to smell like her….it would be super hot if she used his body soap though….okay head out of the gutter Reynolds, you have a girl to woo so hard she's going to have a woo-gasm….Was that a word? Who cares!

Oh wait, shit, Maddy would be touching him, while he's wet-and naked- in a bath tub and that could turn into a scene from one of those cheesy naughty fil- Head out of the Gutter, Reynolds before Maddy notices. The whole morning boner thing was so embarrassing, he didn't need her to know how much he thought about her and her dainty form.

"MARK!" She called, tapping his shoulder. He shifted his head to look at her, before she continued. "Where did you go there?" No response, like he would tell her about all the fantasizing he did. "Well, go to the bathroom, I'll be there in a second." He shifted and followed her orders, his thoughts jumping in the gutter again as he sat on the edge of the tub, waiting for Maddy.

.

.

.

Both sat in relative silence as the tub filled with water and fluffy clouds of soapy bubbles. Mark rubbed his hands together, this would be the first time he was ever naked in front of a girl since well before the Accident, not to mention a girl he liked. Jesus this would be awkward.

The squeak of the faucet rang out and Maddy had asked him to strip once again. "Mark, please, I can't leave you, you might slip-"

"I don't want you to-" Her fingers were in the band of his pants and suddenly everything was sliding off. Soon he raced into the tub and let out a sigh of relief as the bubbles covered the surface of the water and effectively him.

Maddy moved a stool behind the tub and him and leaned over to rub at his skn with a soft rag. Soft digits were hot and he felt a brush of nails against his stomach and rigid abs there. Mark knew he was in shape, maybe not a hunk as Maddy had told him during dinner a few nights ago, but somewhat attractive…and he was with a gorgeous woman who was undressing him and-

"Too Hot?" she whispered in his ear and shivers ran up his spine.

"Much." Jesus, frustrated much? Her hands left him and suddenly cold water was being run on his legs and he shrieked…like a little fricken school girl. "That's freezing! Mads."

"I asked if it was too hot?" There was a tickling in her voice, like she was playing him. Oh, She was good.

.

.

.

"Listen," Maddy's soft hands were massaging shampoos into his scalp and he barely heard her, he was so relaxed. "Lt. Washington came by and asked if Skye and I would watch a pair of sixer children while she finds a permanent home for them. I also asked my Mother if Zoe could come by and play with them. She doesn't make friends that easy because of the whole 'three children' thing and I just thought if would be good for her, and anyways, I was hoping that you would be okay for a little while with the kids here and-"

"Sure," he mumbled, a lazy smile on his face as she rinsed the soapy substance from his scalp and moved to wash his shoulders. "Do you think I could talk to your mom since she's a doctor and all?"

"Of course Mom will talk to you." Mark could hear the lilting in her voice. Dang he loved to listen to her.

.

.

.

When the kids were dropped off, Mark sat on the porch with Dr. Shannon, who waited until her daughter had situated the soldier and entered the house again before speaking.

"Well Mister Reynolds, what is it?" Her voice was clipped then again he did fight her husband so…

"Dr. I wanted to apologize about-"

"No, because Maddy already forgave you and that should be enough." Her voice dropped a little, in a gentler tone. "But, you did watch over my little Zoe, so you have one minute of no judgment."

"I want to court Maddy, and I know I haven't really been that great, but with Mads it's different and I want her. I haven't wanted anything in the past several months, well other than to see, but she makes it manageable and I want to know everything about her. And…And She started planting flowers again. And laugh. She makes me laugh and feel a really good burning in my chest. I need her and I want her. I want to woo her and give her flowers or jewelry or take her somewhere romantic and kiss her whenever I want, because damn it I want to do that all the fricken ti-"

"Alright, a minute is up." The wood creaked and Mark was almost sure she was standing. "You almost sounded like Maddy there." A deep breath. "Tradition says that you ask her father, but as much as I love him, he is a prideful man. He'll never let you court her so I am giving you permittion to take her on a few dates. If that goes well then you can ask her father." Her voice dropped suddenly, "But I swear to every god above and below, if you hurt her, I will make sure your death looks like an accident. Are we understood?"

"Ma'am, yes, Ma'am." He saluted her, standing slowly. "And thank you."

.

.

.

Maddy sat at the table with the kids, each painting something or other, and Mark sat at the kitchen bar, listening to the four of them talk. Mostly listening to how Maddy cared for the kids. The two sixer children said something about going to the other room to wash their hands and soon the giggling pair were down the hall.

"Well, Zo, what do you think?" Maddy asked as she walked around the kitchen and letting the sound of dishes and silver wear ring out.

"I really like them, I like having friends." Zoe stated as she stepped closer to Mark suddenly a little hand rested on his knee. He leaned down and slowly lifted her into the stool next to him. Her small body was both soft and firm in his hands and a chill ran through him. She felt like the child from the Accident. Soft laughter pulled him from his thoughts and Mark let the voices carry him away from those dark memories and into daydreams.

Mark wondered why he never knew this side of Maddy before, this mothering side that had him wondering about….well he shouldn't but…..what would it be like to listen to her talk to her own children. He wouldn't go as far as call the imaginary kids his, but they all did have noticeably blue eyes in his thoughts.

"Zo? Will you go get Leah and Sam? It's time for lunch." Maddy asked as she set the table.

But whether Mark married Maddy(Honestly he was acting like a little girl planning their future together) or not he owed it to her to be as independent as possible.

He needed to talk to a doctor.

**Preview 1 for next chapter:**

Mark leaned back, Maddy in his lap, his buds around the porch, Skye next to them. It was nice, Maddy made things easier, he could actually talk to his friends which was great, he missed the bozos.

And tomorrow, he would be talking to Dr. Shannon about the procedure.

**Preview 2 for next chapter:**

"I will not have that scumbag dating my daughter." Jim yelled, "There are plenty of other boys out there that-"

"That pass me by!" The young girl snarled back. "That think I'm annoying when I can't control my rambles or a know it all, or a nerd. And do you know what Mark thinks. He thinks I'm smart and interesting and we talk all the time. And Beautiful. He tells me everyday that I'm beautiful and no boy has ever told me that before."

"He's a blind piece or shi-" Maddy jumped forward, her finger poking into his chest.

"He's had pictures of me imprinted into his mind! I am a memory for him!" Jim could see the angry wet lines down her cheeks and swollen eyes before she turned on her heel and stormed out of the house, hands covering her mouth.

**Please review. I will try to update Wanted Girl tomorrow so, yeah, thank yall for the support and love through my writing. **


	8. Balloons of a Different Sort

**So, hello everybody. I guess I should apologize for my absence, but unfortuanly I do live in Colorado, in the U.S. where the flooding is going on which means that I lost like my computer, but I have a back up I'm using…..so I have to entirely rewrite the Wanted Girl and what I had on Always Blind along with some other stories. That being said, I will post a filler chapter for this story and try to post a rewritten chapter of Wanted Girl on Monday or Tuesday, but I have been both cleaning my home and the homes of others around me so I don't know how fast that will happen.**

**I apologize for this catastrophe, but the floods are really doing some numbers.**

Maddy ran her fingers through Mark's short hairs, really she needed to get it cut again, but it was't too long. He turned his head a little and squeezed the arm wrapped around her legs that were stretched out alongside his our body. In the mornings, Maddy found herself waking before him unless it just happened to be a training day(ugh). The quiet of the early morning provided the perfect time to read up on her plex while rubbing Mark's head or back. Why they were sharing a bed, Maddy didn't know. It kinda all started when her family stayed and for space purposes they roomed together, but there was no attempt or even hint that they should stop…well except for that little thing called regulations.

"MmmMads?" It tickled the way his jaw rumbled as he spoke, "feels good." Maddy smiled and let the tips run in circles along the back of his neck, still muscled but delicate at the same time. "Oh, yeah="

Frantic pounding on the door stilled them before Skye's voice came through the thin door. "I don't know what you guys are doing, but it doesn't sound good." There was silence between all of them before Mark smirked evilly. Never was it good in any way shape or form when Mark got that look on his face.

"Oh God MADDY!"

The girl slapped his shoulder as the redness in her face deepened dramatically, and her other hand rose over her mouth in horror. Skye only made it worse when she responded with, "there are condoms in the second drawer, be safe kids." And then stomping feet faded away from the door.

"Oh my god." She mumbled under her breath as Mark ripped open the drawer to find said items. The very idea of sex, although appealing in most people, was way too far in the future for her. She hadn't even had a real kiss yet, much less such intimacy as sex. In hindsight she was probably blowing this out of proportion, but the thought of making love thrilled and terrified her beyond belief. Already hard enough not to run away from Mark and hide with her plex, much less well-

"Found them!" Mark held them up like a glorious golden idol statue, Maddy wondered if he remembered to switch the statue with a sandbag? He ripped the box open and Maddy slid back from, he's not actually thinking about going all the way with her right now? Right? RIGHT?

His unrolled the item and wiped most of the lubricate off on the sheets below them bother before bringing an end to his lips and slowing filling the contraceptive with air. Using his hands to cradle it, he soon was tieing it off and flicked it into the air, "Condom balloon!" He laughed as the thing lazily floated down to Maddy Lap.

"MARK!" she squealed and batted it away. "That's gross!" He only laughed and made a game of trying to bat it at her, she squeaking with each attempt.

.

.

.

When they were ready for their morning, both Caretaker and Ward sat at the bar as Skye warily placed food on the hard stone surface that was the counter. "So, our walls are really thin-Ah!" Maddy had never seen a body twist the way Skye's did just to get away from the Condom Balloon that Mark flicked at her. It was actually really amazing. "Oh My God did you use that!?"

"Well it can't be used now." Mark said as Maddy finally just dropped her face to her hands. "Thanks for telling me 'bout the condoms Skye."

"We are not having sex."

"Wait," Mark sat back, turning his head towards Maddy slightly. "Like ever, because then we need to have a serious talk about desire."

"Oh for- I meant that Mark and I haven't even kissed or are dating for any of that t-"

"I will take you on a date though." Mark reminded her with one of those asshole smirks that he wears a lot more. At least he was happier. "And when I make love to you it will be sexy, and romantic, and fricken-"

"TOO MUCH INFORMTATION." Skye screamed as she bounced across the floor from them with hands over her ears.

"We haven't and won't skip bases." She dead panned, drawing a chuckle out of Him. "Right?"

"Anything the Missus says."

"Oh-kay." Maddy jumped up and grabbed her plate, "I will eat on the porch and then I am working in the garden today, so, Mark, eat your breakfast and then come outside." She ordered and walked away as Skye made a whipping sound and laughed as Mark growled at her.

But he said he would make love to her, not just have sex with her, but love. Maddy knew it was probably tp fast, but her belly quivered and she felt like she was going to vomit with a smile on her face. Sounds gross, but she was alright with that for right now.

.

.

.

Mark actually followed Maddy out with his own plate to bask in the warmth of what would surely be a blindingly bright day. And they ate in relative relaxation, Maddy telling him about which flowers she would plant today and the different scents or medicinal qualities of them each. Soon she was standing and taking both plates from him before he called her name. Counting the beats of her footsteps on the boards of the porch, he found himself in front of her and palmed her small, soft waist with large rough hands.

"Mark, what's wrong?" She asked sweetly before he pulled her closer. Her heard her breath hitch and body stiffen as their chests pressed together, but her feet seemed to be rooted the spot and leaving him to support most of her weight. "Mark," This whispered sent shivers down his spine, he never her someone speak like this, yes he has heard other women dirty talk or lust into his ear, but not this. It was like heat, but put into words. Or maybe that was just his nervous body?

Her entire form trembled as his fingers found her lips and stroked under her plump bottom lip. He pressed his forehead against her own and brushed their noses together, before the door behind them opened. "Hey-oh come on guys, the whole condom balloon was bad enough." Skye called, but Mark was sure he heard a smile in her voice.

"Do you have to be a mood killer?" Maddy groaned as she rocked away from Mark and stepped from his hold.

"Maddy we are adults here," Mark growled before rounding on Skye, "Why do you have to be such a co-" A hand slapped over his mouth.

"Let me remind you Mark that I have an older brother." Maddy's voice sounded stern, but he just licked the palm of her hand. "Ew!" Skye laughed as she stepped passed them, her footfalls a little heavier than Maddy's. Then again, Skye was an outdoor girl who didn't doll herself up, or at least that's how Mark last saw her. "And I know you have been meeting my brother at the Market Miss Tate."

The footfalls fell faster and harder.

.

.

.

Maddy kneeled as she patted the earth down around the new flower's base, smiling as sweat slid from her hairline to chin. People were walking up and down the road behind her and stopped to comment on her flowers. Mostly people wondering why she would plant such lovely things if Mark was just going to rip them up. Maddy just smiled at them and said, "I can take care of it." Besides Mark was sitting up on the porch, in the shade. He insisted that he work, so she only let him carry the heavy crates full of flowers for her. The planting she could do herself.

It wasn't until a group of soldier, varying in age, walked to the house and called to Mark after nodding or waving at Maddy. She sat back in her heels to watch as they spoke to Mark. Gently as if they were to upset an enraged patient.

It was tense and uncomfortable and even Maddy felt heat rise to her cheeks for the poor boys that were trying to get her Ward to open up. Finally, when they started to walk away, Mark stood up. "Hey Tim?" They all turned, as if they were all named Tim? "Do you all wanna come over for a beer tonight? Uh, Boylans sent over some of his stuff and since I don't drink a whole lot, it over flowing a cabinet. And Skye said she would through it out if we don-" A chorus of agreement went up.

"That poor alcohol, we need to rescue it." One of the men said and Mark laughed loudly, seemly surprising them.

"I'll meet you guys here after your day shift." Maddy stood up and walked over to Mark, patting his shoulder. The men seemed to take this as a dismissal because they said good-bye good naturedly and waved, although Mark could not see.

"So, tonight?"

"Yep."

.

.

.

Mark was laughing as Tim told Maddy and Josh, who seemed like a pretty cool guy since Mark met him five minutes ago, about when Both he and Tim Curran were stuck in the wilds for two night after Tim forgot to charge the solar battery for their rover.

"I swear I never heard a girl get that high?" Tim laughed.

"I thought the frequency would ward of slashers." Mark piped up before curran laughed loudly.

"Dude, it was a spider." Maddy's sweet little giggles filled the air.

"Yeah, a GIANT spider." Mark found Maddy next to his side and grabbed her and pulled her into his lap, "you don't play with that shit. Stupid spider."

"There was twenty feet between them and he used a grenade launcher to kill it." Tim summed up and Mark heard the telltale sigh that Josh choked on his gulp of soda (Maddy refused to let him have alcohol) while Skye cackled joyfully next to the Elder Shannon.

Maddy's whole body shook as she rested a hand over his cheek, "You poor baby." This brought a whole new roar of laughter from the people scattered over the porch.

Mark leaned back, Maddy in his lap, his buds around the porch, Skye next to them and Josh on her other side. It was nice, Maddy made things easier, he could actually talk to his friends which was great, he missed the bozos.

And tomorrow he would be talking to Doctor Shannon about the procedure.

One he was offered many months ago, and could give him his sight or kill him, there was no in between.

Crunching on the gravel that led to the porch alerted everyone to a presence, or rather three.

"Josh?" Dr. Shannon's voice came softly, "It's time to go home." Shuffling slipped into the air and the boy left the group with good-byes and see you later's. It wasn't until a second voice tensed Maddy and Mark up.

"Mads, I thought caretakers couldn't have relationships with wards?" Jim Shannon asked in a guarded tone.

"Well, we had to talk it over with the Commander, but he is allowing it." Maddy slid off of Mark's lap, Skye scooted over to allow Maddy the room to sit.

"Can I talk to you inside?" Mark wanted to say no, but his Caretaker was already ushering her father in.

.

.

.

Jim stood in the kitchen, across from Maddy, "What's going on between you and Mark?"

"Oh, well, we are sort of trying to figure ourselves out, um, mostly flirting." She added.

Her father's voice sounded constricted as he spoke, "I want you to go to the Commander and have your ward changed."

"What? No," She jumped up, speaking louder, "I like Mark, and we have a routine and he talks to me-" How could he actually think she would change a ward on her father's orders like she was a dog.

"I will not have that scumbag dating my daughter." Jim yelled, "There are plenty of other boys out there that-"

"That pass me by!" The young girl snarled back. "That think I'm annoying when I can't control my rambles or a know it all, or a nerd. And do you know what Mark thinks. He thinks I'm smart and interesting and we talk all the time. And Beautiful. He tells me everyday that I'm beautiful and no boy has ever told me that before."

"He's a blind piece or shi-" Maddy jumped forward, her finger poking into his chest.

"He's had pictures of me imprinted into his mind! I am a memory for him!" Jim could see the angry wet lines down her cheeks and swollen eyes before she turned on her heel and stormed out of the house, hands covering her mouth.

Stalking out of the back door, she found herself huffing shallow breaths of air as a fire of raw emotions burned in her chest. What if her father was right and Mark was a terrible person? But Mark has been nothing but kind and courteous and expressed his feelings without making her uncomfortable.

What if he got his sight back and didn't end up liking her? Oh wait, the pictures imprinted into his head. Maddy was trying to see it from her father's angle, but all she could really see was the fact that Mark punched him and staked a claim on her in a not so nice manner that seemed to upset her father so much. She folded her arms over her chest and looked up at the bright moon that bathed the area before her in pure silver. It looked like a shiny metal yard, instead of the disgusting ones in the future.

A large hand wrapped around her elbow and turned her towards them, "I've talk enough Dad, you ne-" oh wait it's Mark, "What are you-" He dragged her towards him and wrapped an arm around her waist.

"It's okay Mads." His other hand took one of her's and brought the knuckles to his lips.

"What?"

"It's okay if you want a new Ward."

"I am not changing Wards, so don't bring it up, she commanded and leaned into him, resting her head on his chest as he slowly swayed with her. "A little faster and we can dance."

He started humming and moving them in circles, her staying close to him. "Mark?"

"Yes?" She pulled back to look at him, he half lidded eyes so relaxed and gleaming in the silver light.

"Kiss me?" His hands rose to cup her cheeks and thumb rubbed over her plump bottom lip.

"Do you have any idea how long I've been waiting-"

"Then do it," Her voice was warm again, trebling and scared and hopeful. "Kiss me."

**Mwhahaha, that kiss will be start of next chapter. I'm really tired right know so I did not edit this, but I made it extra long for your own entertainment, just saying.**

** I just have a small teaser for next Chapter this time:**

"Mark, pack some things for an otg. You are going fishing with Sherriff Shannon tomorrow." The Commander called as he walked away from Mark and Skye.

"Oh, shit dude," Skye whispered. "You gonna be d-e-a-d."


	9. Permission

Mark held her tighter, lips dropping down over her satiny ones. His own thinner lips worked slowly to learn her. . .lipscape? Was that a word? Who the fuck cares? That's right, no one. Because Mark Reynolds his kissing Maddy Shannon with all his worth. He felt like he just won the fucking Terra Nova lotto. His tongue slipped along the seam of her lips, parting them as he cradled the back of her head and neck in his hands. He gently bit her plump lower lip to elicit a deep sound from her throat. God he wanted to hear that again and again. So he did just that, sucking and nipping to get her to wiggle and hum against him. He can't let this get too far or he's sure he would cave man and throw her over his shoulder to take her to his bed.

Her hands gripped his sides and wrapped in his shirt, tugging gently. "Mark," Her lips brushed against his as she spoke and all he could think was how sexy that was. He pressed his mouth to her's once more, pulling her up a little as he curled down onto her, parting the softer lips to slip the tip of his tongue along the edges of her teeth in an indecisive manner on whether to really kiss her or not. He didn't want to scare her off after all. She took the decision from him and wrestled his tongue down with her own writhing wet muscle.

The first time Mark had ever drank beer, he enjoyed it like a teenager loves soda. The first time he had ever been with a woman, he felt like he had walked along Aphrodite's Beach of Pleasures. The first time the tip of Maddy's tongue curled up to touch the roof of his mouth, Mark felt like she dragged him to the gates of the heavens to simple gaze upon the stars and promise a better tomorrow. She was a future.

With that he scooped her up, a soft squeal escaped within the small amount of time their lips parted. And he seemed to walk blindly around as his lips danced with hers. "Which way?" He groaned, squeezing her side to push another ragged breath from her. She tried to pull back from him to guide him, as her job, but Mark set her back down to press her against a wall and captured her full lips once more. With wandering fingers wrapped around her waist and sliding up her spine, he peppered her jaw with kisses, intent on going to her neck to find her pulse there.

"We are never going to make it inside," She stated before she dragged him back and scrapped her teeth over his lower lip.

"Maybe I'll make love to you under the stars." She gasped as he attacked this gently hallow behind her ear that his tongue dipped into so naturally.

"Oh my god!" She moaned before a heavy blush ran up her neck to her cheek as he pressed his forehead to hers and inhaled her aromatic scent. Distinct vanilla and an orangy scent that reminds him of fire spiced whisky. Mark groaned as one of his hands tangled further into silken hair, at this point_ everyone _was up.

"If you keep making those noises," Mark started, claiming her mouth a few more times as her soft fingers ran over his strong jaw and along his neck. "I don't think I can be a gentle-man anymore, and you Miss Shannon, will be left with a bad reputation." She hummed with the thought of being with him completely, and this terrified her. She should be almost unwilling to be so intimate so quickly, but then again... one of her hands slipped to his bicep and played with the hem of his sleeve before she slipped her hand under it and scratched the back of his shoulder. In awe of this power, Maddy watched Mark press himself into her, enjoying his strong body that molded her soft figure against it.

"Mark!" She gasped and dropped both her palms to rest over his strong shoulders. "You are not deflowering me out here in the middle of the night, where anyone could see us!" She hissed and his mouth tugged down.

His grip tightened and he wrapped an arm around her again, "No Fucking way is anyone gonna see you but me." As he walked her inside and laid heated, open mouthed kisses over her shoulder and neck, she giggled softly, shuffling with his arms around her.

"That would imply that you could see, blind man."

He laughed and kissed bellow her ear before whispering with a hot breath, "No. I get to _feel _you." She gasped and let him open the door and usher her into his room. "On the bed woman," She giggled, but stood up.

"Mark, you know we can't,"

"Mads," he groaned and reached for her, but fingers found air, "I told you, it will be so fricken romantic when we make love, you might just climax on the spo-"

"Must you be so crude!?" Maddy was smiling but hoped her voice sounded at least somewhat disapproving.

"I just had a mind blowing make out session Mads, You are lucking I haven't said 'fuck' or 'bitchin' every other word in the last five minutes." His hands finally found her and dragged her towards him. He tossed her on the bed and covered her with two hundred pounds of muscle. Her legs were on either side of his waist and body cradled him perfectly, but she pushed at his shoulders.

"You are not pressing that gorgeous body against me when you have a boner." Her groaned against her neck and rolled over, resting next to her. Maddy was so warm and run out of breath. All she did was kiss a guy…that she is head over heels for….who has not made it a secret that he intends to have her in every way possible…

A shiver ran up her spine and she covered her mouth. His breathing was just as loud and out of breath, she could see the veins all over him popped out a a slight sweat over his forehead.

"Are you sure you want to stop here." He teased, rolling onto his side and settling his head in his palm as if to look down at her, her hands rising to pet his slightly scratchy chin and neck.

"Mark Reynolds." She laughed before one of his arms was thrown over her waist and pulled her closer. His sleeve slid up, baring that beautiful tattoo again to her. "What does this mean?" She gently ran a finger over it.

"It's military, you'll only see it on the Terra Novian Soldiers." He lowered his head rest on the area just below her neck, breathing in her scent and listening to her racing heart. It took him a moment to realize, _I did that to her. My Maddy._

"Tell me what it means." Her index finger gently traced the inked curves. It reminded her most of gaelic tribal tattoos, but this one had a Sun Shinning at the edge of the dark in. She could pick out the distinct TNS from the design, it was fitting, this new and vicious world of mystery being protected by strong tribal warriors…if that's what they were going for.

"The initials stand for Terra Nova Security, the Sun means strength and rebirth and the rest of it just looks Badass." She smiled against her skin as her palm tried to cover the whole piece aver his strong shoulder. "It's kinda meaningless now."

"No," She whispered, heat rising in her cheeks. "I think it's completely," A feather light flutter of lips slipped over his forehead. "Utterly," her hot breath whispered in his ear. "Sexy."

He groaned against the hollow of her collar bone and the vibrations made her eye lids flutter closed gently. "Gods, Mads, you can't do this to me." He felt her lips turn up against his short hairs.

"Well, maybe we should go to bed, because tomorrow, you need to have a bath, and cut your hair and shave-"

"But I though you liked rugged guys?" He pouted to her and she giggled.

"But if it scratched my face than I won't want to kiss you as-" He covered her lips with his, moving most of his body over her's.

"I will shave right now if I have too, but we are making out as often as possible." She giggled and ran her fingers over his jaw.

"Okay caveman, I need to get ready for bed and you do too, so." She got up and pulled him along to the bathroom where she set up their tooth brushes and cleaned up for the night.

"Oh my god." Skye groaned as she walked into the large room to grab her own tooth brush. "You guys official yet or do you want to tell me how the pots on the deck actually got knocked over?" Maddy blushed heavily, but smiled at her friend. "You're so telling me everything." She mumbled after Mark left to change into night clothes.

Using a cloth to wash her face, Maddy slowly retold the evening to a giggling Skye. "I never felt this way about someone before." She said quietly, Mark has freakish super hearing and she didn't want him to hear this. "Skye, Mark's my first kiss." The girl froze.

"No way, Maddy you are way to pretty for that to be a first." They walked to their room together to change and get in bed, well, for Skye to get in bed. "Maddy, there is just no way."

"I was bullied a lot," She bit her lip and sat on the edge of her bed. Her poor neglected bed."It got bad, I remember there was this boy that, w-well, he sent me notes."

"Notes?" Skye stared at this girl, from love struck to seemingly terrified who told her of a life before. "I ramble a lot and people didn't like that, but this guy would write notes about what I could do for-to him instead of just talk. He would tell me how pretty my voice was and what it would sound like to…"

"What it would sound like to what?" Skye was angry, a clenching around her chest told her that this would get much worse. Especially as Maddy started to blink quickly and wiped at her eyes.

"To scream his name. He would write about how he could protect me from all the other bullies if I would be his, um-"

"He wanted you to have sex with him?"

"He want me to be his exclusive little slut. Josh tried to beat this guy up," Maddy swallowed hard and wrapped her arms around herself. "But he stuck a bomb in Josh's locker. My brother almost died because of me." Maddy whimpered and Skye jumped up and ran to Maddy's side, wrapping Maddy in a hug and pulling her close. The girl trembling against her valiantly swallowed her sobs and continued. "The notes got more violent, sadistic. Half the things he said he would do to me sounded like something out a nightmare. One day, While Josh was still in the hospital, The boy came up to me and pushed me, right into traffic. "I was lucky that the driver stopped so fast, but he still hit me. I had some bruises, but my re-breather was cracked, just breathing in all the shit from the outside. I didn't know until I started coughing up blood and just…I was in a coma for three weeks after while doctors scrambled to replace my esophagus, lungs and a lot of the skin in my mouth and nostrils." Skye gently stroked her fingers through Maddy's dark hair, hushing her as the girl soaked her shirt with tears.

As Maddy was being rocked by her friend, a man was walking out of her house. A fucking walking stick in his hand.

.

.

.

"I'm coming, for christ's- Oh." Jim Shannon stared at Mark Reynolds who pounded at the door of his home. "What the hell do you want?"

"Oh, shut it Jim." Mark barked, "I wanna now if Maddy really was hurt so bad. Threats, pushed in front of car and in a coma and stuff." Oh, _Oh okay._

"You better come inside, and for the love of god, be a fucking man and stop with this broody little boy routine." The man outside contemplated for a second but stepped inside in the end.

As they sat at the kitchen table, Jim looked over the soldier, still wearing his clothes from earlier and looked completely pissed. "Maddy has always been…delicate. Afraid of the world but so excited to explore it and learn. When she started school-She just gave me this big toothy grin that I was sure would light the world like a second sun. I dropped her off that first day and when she came home she sat on my lap and told me everything. It was like that a lot of days afterwards. Until seventh grade came around." Mark didn't look at him, well couldn't, as he stiffened up.

"What happened?"

"A few kids sayin' lies behind her back, the usual thing, and she got hy, but always talked to me, and I had Josh looking out for her. Then she got to high school, I didn't find out until later that she was alone all the time save for when Josh was nearby." Jim leaned forward, watching the trembling soldier carefully, knuckles white and jaw muscle flexing.

"One day I get this call that Josh has been taken to the hospital because a police issued grenade was booby trapped into his locker. Now, this boy that had been harassing Maddy, Mickey Benson Jr., son of my police chief. That was the only reason that Mickey didn't get caught, hid behind his corrupt daddy." Jim leaned back. "Maddy told be everything, those disgusting notes, the stalking, and a week later she gets pushed in front of some cars, thank god that driver stopped." Jim rubbed his hands over her head. "Reynolds, I swear to god if you ever-"

"I would kill that boy slow, I would hurt anyone that hurt my Maddy. Because, she makes me…" _what does she make me?_ "I am the best person I've ever been with Maddy. Even Skye says I'm not such a shit-bag since Maddy came around." Mark licked his lips, "I want to wrap a blanket around Maddy and tell her that the world would never hurt her."

"Son, I know you through that knife at me daughter." Jim started, voice firm. "but I also know that you did it to kill that sixer the first few days we got here. So, I will graciously over look that fight that happened here, so long as you continue to protect her," Jim rolled his eyes and reluctantly added, "And love her, but don't you dare pressure her into anything, or I'll know."

"Sir, I would like permission to court your daughter." Mark asked formally, sitting straighter in his seat and grasping the walking stick tighter.

"You have my permission, but you hurt her and I throw you off a cliff." Jim stated with his arms crossed as he watched the biggest, stupidest grin spread over this young man's face. "Now, how the hell did a blind ass-crack like you even get here?"

"Well, I calmed I witnessed a burglary to one of my neighbors and they brought me here."

"And how much of this burglary did you, witness?" Jim wanted to laugh, what dumbass would believe a blind man witnessed anything.

"Nothin'." Mark stood up, "But I do need some help home."

"I'll wake Josh up."

.

.

.

"I can't find him!" Maddy huffed, her heart racing, Mark wasn't anywhere in the house and Maddy was on the verge of calling Alic-Lt. Washington to report Mark missing. A rapping at the door had Maddy sprinting to the front just as Skye let out a relieved sigh.

"Mark," She ran up to him and wrapped her arms around his neck, "don't ever, ever leave like that again." Maddy pulled back, but a hand behind her head brought her up to his lips and her chest burned with want.

"Oh, gross!" Josh yelled, covering his eyes. "Don't kiss her in front of me." Mark just leaned Maddy back to kiss her deeper. "Okay, I'm leaving. Skye call me."

"Yep." She shut the door and turned towards the pair smothering each other. Shaking her head, Skye walked to her room, calling over her shoulder. "Night."

"Mark," Maddy pulled back and rubbed her thumb over his jaw bones. "Where did you go?"

And he told her everything, that he heard her and that he talked to her father. "I got his permission." He added and she squealed, pressed a hundred little kisses all over his face. Somehow they ended up in his room again. Making out. Again, But Mark touched her a little more delicately. Careful, as if she were glass.

And when they finally did slide under the covers, he cradled her in the dark, petting her silken locks and rubbing her scalp that rested over his heart. She had his heart snug in the palm of his hand and he couldn't be happier.

.

.

.

"Mark? What was the Incident?" Maddy whispered. They were having a lazy morning, kissing in the early hours and talking in the gray of morning. Mark tensed up and wrapped an arm around her waist. He felt little palms over his chest, before he grabbed her and pulled Maddy as close as he could. "Mark?"

"Maddy," His voice was rough and heavily, like he needed to tell her something…but couldn't.

He should be able to tell her how he had nightmare's of that day all the time. He just…couldn't. A loud knocking had both of them up and outside to the front room.

"Maddy," Commander Taylor smiled at her As Alicia Sat opposite him, both holding coffee mugs. "I like the garden out there." He smiled at the young Shannon. "And tell Mark to stop putting so many hickey's on you, it could soil your reputation." Maddy blushed and dropped her face to her hands.

"I'm blind Sir," Mark huffed, laying an arm over her shoulders. "Not deaf, Sir."

Taylor leaned forward and pulled at Wash's pony tail, getting her attention, "Good, because Wash and I need you for a job, Captain Reynolds."

"No," Maddy crossed her arms., But Mark wrapped her up.

"Mads, I'll have like twenty other guys with me." She did not like the idea of him going back to work. She huffed and the two leaders of the colony stood just as Skye walked into the room.

"Mark, pack some things for an otg. You are going fishing with Sherriff Shannon tomorrow." The Commander called as he walked away from Mark and Skye.

"Oh, shit dude," Skye whispered. "You gonna be d-e-a-d."

**Preview for next chapter:**

Skye and Tasha stood on either side of Maddy as they picked out food items on the weekly shopping trip, for once all three girls were free of Wards for the day and needed to get as much done as possible.

Tasha constantly called her Ward, 'her child' because she alluded caring for a ward to caring for an infant. "Of course, Maddy, I hear you're ward is laying down the charm on you." Tasha sang to the girl who blushed.

"Yep, and now he is wooing her father so when he asks for her hand in marriage, Sheriff Shannon won't kill him."

"Oh." Tasha's eyes widened. "You are the sheriff's daughter?" the girl laughed, taking Maddy's arm. "You certainly got some men around you."

"Yes, she does." Another voice slid over Maddy like ice. No, no, no.

Slowly turning, she stared at his chiseled face. He was never unattractive physically, but his personality was that of Satan's first son itself.

Mickey Benson Jr.

**Please Review.:)**


	10. Guess Who

**Hey everyone, so I didn't really edit this, But I got some of my ideas from the ever lovely **_**einze**_**, Who gave me some wonderful ideas and **_**Fenrisulven13, **_**who allowed me to borrow his character, Ben Shannon.**

** Enjoy, and please Review.**

Mark sat quietly next to Jim Shannon as the rods lifted over the cliff. "Um, Sir?"

"Yup?" Jim was sitting a few feet from Mark, and begrudgingly watched out for the guy. He daughter would never forgive him if something happened to Mark while in Mr. Shannon's care.

"Don't take this the wrong way, but why did you bring a blind man fishing?" Come on, Mark was having a hard enough time on the cliff, he hated straight drops when he could see, that wasn't about to change. Course then again, the view had been etched in his memory the last time he was here. The oranges and reds fading into the blueness of the sea and the huge sea monsters popping up. It was actually incredibly beautiful. He wished that he would be strong enough that one day he could bring Maddy out here. Just them.

"Well, I actually don't know how to fish, but I thought I could talk to you, uh, about Maddy." Now that was a conversation Mark could have. Shit, he was whipped. "I know I already gave you a threat, And I hold grudges….and I have a gun."He cleared his throat and continued. "Which is why, you are going to bring my eldest daughter around the Shannon home more often."

"Uh, si-"

"Zo, misses Maddy, I so do I. And Elizabeth always passes your home to say hello to Maddy, Although she said she barely ever sees you."

"Uh, probably because Maddy makes me go to bed at like, 9;00." Mark shrugged and rubbed the back of his neck, "Uh, Sir, I wanted to talk to you about, Um, getting married to Maddy."

"Fuck no." Jim growled. "I just allowed you to date her, much less-"

"I mean for Maddy to come with me-"

"You perverted-" Lines were getting crossed.

"Sir, I meant that their taking Maddy away from me!" Phew, finally got that out. "There is a job for me. Like I can actually do something and that means everything to me, well other than Maddy, course she takes first on my list."

"Boy, you sound like a woman. Does Maddy have a collar for you?"

"Yeah, it says, 'Maddilyn Shannon's Bitch' on it." Mark said sarcastically. "There is this new colony Taylor wants to set up, infact, he has had construction and security crews up there working on it. The current workers are being rotated out in three months, and I'm to meet one of the security chiefs later today, he travelled a week to get here." Mark took a breath. "Taylor also made it clear that if I take this job, I will not be taking Maddy with me."

"And this leads to you wanting to Marry her because?"

"If I am married I can bring Maddy." Mark concluded, "And we'll be away for another eight months." Mark listened carefully to the older man shifting.

"I, I don't like this," Jim grumbled, "And the way I see it, is you two have only been together for a little bit so-"

"Please, sir, just hear me out." Mark leaned towards the voice of his love's father. "I want to become engaged to her, we can be engaged for the duration of the work, come back, if all goes well, her and I get married-"

"Need I remind you that you are robbing the cradle son." Jim growled, "She is sixteen."

"Yes, but Terra Nova law says that a person can get married at seventeen, younger with parental consent." Mark pushed. "Please sir, I need Maddy. I don't think I can do this without he-"

"Shut up!" Jim huffed. "You need to talk to my wife, and then Maddy. And I swear to god, if you do anything outside of being a gentleman in your weird ass courtship. I will kick your ass to 2149."

"Yes, Sir, and I have talked to your wife, this morning before we left for our little trip." Of course Elizabeth would let them go together still.

"Well, we better head back, there's this thing in the water that has been eyeing us for the last fifteen minutes." Jim grabbed Mark and dragged him back to the rover. "You're gonna take care of my girl? Right?"

"Sir, I would shot byself in the foot of it Made Maddy happy." Jim laughed, _laughed! _At this.

"Good to know."

.

.

.

Maddy stood outside the house with Skye, waiting for this woman named Tasha Guzman. She was a Caretaker too, but it seemed all the girls had their day off today, which meant a much needed shopping trip. A young woman with dark curly hair and a beautiful dark skin tone that glowed in the midday sun, rounded the corner and Skye started waving her pale arm frantically. The girls hugged tightly, giggling and chatting softly as soon as they met up, before all three entered the street for the market.

"So, who is this fresh?" Tasha laughed, moving to the other side of Maddy to get a better look.

"Oh, that is Reynolds' Caretaker." Skye giggled, "And yes, they are official, as of really late last night."

"Oh, did the nasty?" Tasha wiggled her sculpted brows and Maddy had to cover her cheeks.

"N-No, um, we just, he has start courting me." She played with her empty basket and shrunk down a little.

"Oh, honey, I don't mean for my teasing to get at you. And remember carnal urges make us human dear, believe me, I know." Maddy blushed deep, this woman had no qualm talking about this apparently.

"Whore," Skye coughed followed by a soft squeal from her friend's slap.

"Anyways, if it is true love, my, aren't you lucky to have it so young." Tasha wrapped an arm around Maddy's shoulders. She was a beacon of confidence that Maddy could only hope to maybe absorb a little. "'Sides, you're letting up a lot of restrictions on us Caretakers. Now a lot more of us can date our Wards." Maddy choked on her own spit at that comment.

Skye and Tasha stood on either side of Maddy as they picked out food items on the weekly shopping trip, for once all three girls were free of Wards for the day and needed to get as much done as possible.

Tasha constantly called her Ward, 'her child' because she alluded caring for a ward to caring for an infant. "Of course, Maddy, I hear you're ward is laying down the charm on you." Tasha sang to the girl who blushed.

"Yep, and now he is wooing her father so when he asks for her hand in marriage, Sheriff Shannon won't kill him."

"Oh." Tasha's eyes widened. "You are the sheriff's daughter?" the girl laughed, taking Maddy's arm. "You certainly got some men around you."

"Yes, she does." Another voice slid over Maddy like ice. No, no, no.

Slowly turning, she stared at his chiseled face. He was never unattractive physically, but his personality was that of Satan's first son itself.

Mickey Benson Jr.

"I was thinking we could catch up, Mads." No he wasn't allowed to use that name on her. Mark called her that, not Mickey Benson Jr. He came around the booth and wrapped his hands around her elbow.

"No," her eyes were wide and body leaned back to throw her weight away from him. "No." She whimpered, lower lip caught in her teeth. She looked back at Skye, who started through the crowding people towards Maddy.

Raising her hand, Maddy slapped Mickey as hard as she could right across the face. She had never fought before, but Mickey was capable of killing Josh, of course he would be willing to hurt her. The action served to bring quite a bit of attention from those around, including a cussing Tasha, who was yanking on Maddy's other arm, trying to pull her away from this monster.

"Let her go." This new, strong voice did three things. Everyone froze. Not just still, but 'Everyone-turned-into-fucking-statues' type of freezing. People stepped away from Maddy and Mickey. And Maddy spotted who was standing before them in full military garb and commanding attention. Steely eyes stared down at them, Maddy specifically, his light brown hair looked so familiar to her…

She started pulling again, this time trying to get to the soldier that stopped Mickey. "UNCLE BEN!" She cried as the man who strode forward and ripped Maddy from the young man's grasp, who exited the scene quickly.

She curled up in the tall man's arms, breathing in the smell of sweat and some kind of leafy scent she had yet to identify. "It's good to see you again, little one." Ben whispered to Maddy as she squeezed him tightly.

"I thought you were still in 2149." Ben hadn't seen his little niece or nephew in years, and has only seen pictures of the secret child his brother and sister-in-law have riskily chosen to bring into the old world. And now looking at Maddy, in the sun and glowing, he knew he would give up his place in the Shannon family a thousand times over for her. Oh wait that means-

"Mads, you're _entire family _came, right?" She nodded quickly.

"Yes; because we smuggled Zoe in, I had to take a Caretaker Job, but we're all here." She sighed and hugged him again. "I missed you so much." Gods did she miss him. The last time she saw him, she had fallen asleep in his arms, him reading her her favorite story. And when she woke up, he was gone. She hadn't seen him again until now. He bore age this time. He looked tired, bags under his eyes and a bit of a scraggily chin, like he needed a good bath and sleep. And scars, three of them, starting above the his dark brow and ending on his right cheek. She gently touched these, but he swiped her hand away and smiled. She would learn in due time.

"I came in on the ninth pilgrimage." He smiled and petted her hair. She looked so much like her mother and far too beautiful for her own good. "You have to tell me everything. Wait is your father here." She stepped back and giggled with happiness of a time long ago.

"You're Sheriff Shannon's brother?" Skye asked, placing herself between Maddy and the place that horrible Benson Jr. had been.

"Sheriff? oh crap, that idiot's done it again." Ben laughed, "Where is your father anyways?" As if on cue, the gates were being raised and a rover drove through. It was only minutes later that Maddy spied Mark slowly climbing out of the passenger side.

"Come on, Ben, let's see the boys." She walked him over to the rover, laughing gleefully as her father jumped out of the rover to come face to face with his younger brother. The men seemed so alike, if not in appearance, in manners. It was a little scary to see, but Maddy was far too happy at the moment.

"Mads?" A large hand rested on her shoulder, just as most Wards would do when being led. "What's going on?"

"Oh, My Uncle Ben is here, apparently he came through on the ninth pilgrimage." She smiled, but Mark just looked sick. "What?"

"Oh, well, I have to worry about your father and now your Uncle." He huffed, but she just wrapped an arm around his mid section. They fit together so well, Maddy honestly never thought she would find somebody like Mark. "Well, Miss Shannon." He started. "Will you marry me?"

I'm sorry, what the f-"Say again?" Surely he didn't propose to her.

"Marry me?"

"You're kidding?" She twisted to look at him and cradled his face in her hands. "Right?"

"Nope." He pulled her closer and pressed a kiss to her forehead. "I want to marry you."

"I-I, how about…Mark let me think about this, I just had a really hard day and-" His lips pressed gently over hers. _Oh, okay, this was okay, this was nice. This was freaking excellent. _Maddy let her hands crest over his shoulders and snake around his neck, pulling him closer to herself. She wanted him to cover her and hold her.

And he did, his forearms at her back, pulling her closer. Against his lips, she whispered out about them being in public. He took this moment to nip at her plump lower lip and reply, "Let them look, you're mine."

"I never said yes."

"Think about it, then." He mumbled and slipped his tongue between her lips. Several whoops and whistles sounded, ripping into their little circle and Maddy could only step back before Mark pulled her safely against his chest and wrap her up while she hid her face in his neck.

"So," Ben started, he was unsure how to feel about this. Happy that his little niece found someone that he just witnessed turn her to goo, or enraged with the man who so openly possessed Maddy's body and heart. "Who's the kid?"

"That would be Mark Reynolds." Jim growled. "Maddy's Ward and apparently 'best guy in the world'." He huffed, Ben would almost find his brother's actions amusing had all this attention not been on Maddy.

"Oh," Ben stepped forward. "Soldier." He barked and Mark straightened up into a perfect officer's posture. "I believe we have yet to meet. I'm Captain Benjamin Shannon, but most people, particularly the Commander, call me Ben."

"Oh, Shit." The young man cussed, a frown marring his face as his sightless eyes bore into Ben's blue ones.

"That's right son, in three months, I'm taking you out to Nova Vida." Ben laughed as Mark deflated.

Of course, Maddy's Uncle would be his boss.

Well Shit.

**Preview for next chapter:**

"Okay," Maddy sighed as she sat down on the edge of their bed. Was that wrong to have so early in their relationship?, "I'll make you a deal." Oh…

"Go on." Mark purred and Maddy blushed, for the gods, his voce could do the most wonderful things to her.

"A-a, a game." Yes a freaking game. "A game; you take the lessons and meet with my Uncle and- and…I'll let you take any ONE article of clothing off of me."

Holy shit. Challenge Fucking Accepted.

"Well," Mark started, walking towards her, "I met him this morning, during my field exam so…" he pressed her shoulders into the mattress and tugged a little at her skirt. Maddy wasn't too happy about her skirt being removed though. With red cheeks, he lifted her legs and reached under her skirt, her squealing the whole time.

"You remove your hands now!" She cried, red in the face and heart beating so fast she was sure a heart attack would set in. Mark hooked his fingers into what he wanted, and slid a thin piece of material down her legs. She gasped as she sat up and realized what he took. "Mark Reynolds!"

"What? You said I could take ONE." From his finger dangled the newly bought piece.

"I didn't think you would take my underwear." She sniffed, trying to sound angry.

"You said any one." He balled it up in his hands to examine it and whistled. "I didn't think you would wear a Thong. Maddy Shannon."

"Yes."

"What?"

"Yes."

**If you have any questions or just wanna talk, y'all are welcome to PM me. By the way, more of Mark's past is going to come up in the next chapter.**


End file.
